FG Confirms Case Of Yellow Fever In Kwara

The federal government has confirmed a case of Yellow Fever in Oke Owa Community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who announced this said the case was confirmed in a young girl at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and further confirmation was made at the Institute Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal on the 12th of September 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.

Some infected people may not experience any of these symptoms. In severe cases, bleeding may occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or stomach.

The minister, who called on Nigerians to be calm, stated that a vaccination campaign is already being planned in the affected area to prevent further spread.

He revealed that the State Epidemiology Team has begun investigation in the affected area and surrounding communities, adding that a joint Team from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the World Health Organisation Country Office has been deployed to support the State in carrying out a detailed investigation and risk analysis.

According to him, the most important measure to take in preventing Yellow Fever is vaccination against the disease. 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.