from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE raging outbreak of yellow fever has left no less than 76 people dead in Nigeria during the month of November.
Outbreaks were declared on the 12th in the northeastern Bauchi, southern Delta and southeastern Enugu states.
The deaths are from a total of 222 suspected cases documented at the time of publication.
The current population for each of the above states is approximately 16 million people, of which more than 1,84 million live in areas declared as hotspots.
Most of the cases are males, with age ranging from 1-55 years and carrying such symptoms as fever, headache, fatigue, jaundice, abdominal pain, vomiting, epistaxis, blood in stools or urine, convulsion and unconsciousness.
The deaths in the above states add to 34 other deaths documented since August, mostly in the north of Nigeria.
To ensure a well-coordinated response and quick control of the outbreak across all affected states, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) activated the National Yellow Fever Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to review the situation of the epidemic.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.
The West African country, the largest by population (106 million people) in the continent is prone to disease outbreaks.
This includes the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Nigeria has confirmed 67 412 cases of COVID-19, including 1 173 deaths.
– CAJ News