Date: 2017-10-03

Recently the Federal Government confirmed a case of yellow fever in a young girl in Oke Owa Community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. Laboratory diagnosis was carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and confirmed at the Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal on September 12, 2017.

"Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected aedes mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue," said Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole. "Some infected people may not experience any of these symptoms. In severe cases, bleeding may occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or stomach, he explained"

The minister said the most important measure to take in preventing yellow fever is vaccination against the disease, adding that "A single dose of yellow fever vaccine, which is included in Nigeria's routine immunisation schedule given at nine-months, is free and sufficient to confer sustained protection of up to 10 years."

"Other methods of prevention include using insect repellent, sleeping under a long-lasting insecticide treated net, ensuring proper sanitation and getting rid of stagnant water or breeding space for mosquitoes," Adewole said.

Although there is no specific medicine to treat the disease, intensive supportive care is provided. Most patients would recover with appropriate care, he said. The minister advised health care workers to practice universal care precautions while handling patients at all times. They were also urged to be alert and maintain a high index of suspicion.

The health minister also called for calm and advised everyone to avoid self-medication and instead report at the nearest health facility if they felt unwell. Prof Adewole said all the agencies of the Federal Ministry of Health and their partners would work together to support the government of Kwara to respond accordingly in order to prevent further spread.

A vaccination campaign was already being planned in the affected area to prevent further spread, he also said.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State government has promised to strengthen its sensitisation campaign to prevent people of the state from contacting yellow fever as the authorities confirmed two cases already in Oro-Ago axis of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Sulaiman Alege, while confirming the development during an interview with our correspondent in Ilorin, the state capital, said the two cases were identified after a laboratory analysis carried out at a virology unit in Lagos.

This is as Daily Trust findings showed that there is no outbreak of yellow fever in the state but the two cases discovered among samples taken during the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

The Community Health Officer, Public Health Science, Obanyan M.O Philip, in charge of ECWA Clinic and Maternity, Oro-Ago, told our correspondent that there was no outbreak of yellow fever, adding that the case that was discovered recently was part of the outcome of blood samples that were taken during the outbreak of Lassa fever in the community.

The commissioner noted that he had earlier led the state's epidemiology team for a pooling effort and investigation in the affected area and surrounding communities and took samples of 38 people out of who two were confirmed positive to yellow fever.

He explained that a joint team from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the World Health Organisation Country Office were already in the area for further analysis.

He admitted that the area is susceptible due to its population and advised the residents and the state in general to take personal hygiene more seriously. Alege, who put the ages of the two patients at 10 and 12, said the government has started sensitisation programmes with a view to containing the spread of the ailment.