Nigeria’s Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi, says about 15 per cent of people bitten by mosquitoes are bound to be infected with yellow fever that may become toxic.
Obi disclosed this during the fumigation and vaccination exercise against yellow fever in two affected communities, on Saturday in Enugu.
The communities recently affected by yellow fever were Ette-Uno and Umuopu, both in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of the state.
According to the commissioner, fumigation and vaccination are the effective preventive measures against the disease.
He urged mothers to ensure complete rounds of immunisation of their children, including yellow fever vaccination, at ninth month of birth.
“Yellow fever vaccination is currently going on in Igboeze North Local Area Council,” he said.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Fire Officer, Mr Okwudili Ohaa, said that one of the mandates of his agency was to disinfect the communities and their environs.
According to Ohaa, the vector causing the disease will be reduced through fumigation.
Earlier, the Chairman of the local government, Mr Ejike Itodo, expressed gratitude for the quick response of the state government.
Itodo advised the public to continue to abide by the protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to contain the outbreak of epidemics in the area.