The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued an urgent alert to the general public on the alarming surge of yellow fever cases in Nigeria, occurring simultaneously with the ongoing cholera outbreak.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, issued the warning at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja. He said the NCDC has been handling the cholera outbreak, which spread across 34 states, including the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), affecting 187 local government areas.
So far, 3,623 suspected cholera cases and 103 deaths with a case fatality rate of 2.8% has been recorded. He noted, however, a slight decrease in reported cases and fatalities in the past week thanks to the ongoing national and state-level efforts.
He cautioned that the peak of the rainy season, which worsens cholera outbreaks, was still ahead. Idris shared concerns about underreporting due to poor surveillance resources and the political stigma linked to the disease.
Dr Idris mentioned that the NCDC has also observed a significant increase in yellow fever cases since the onset of the rainy season.
“Three presumptive positive cases have been reported, two in Ekiti state and one in Bayelsa, along with one death.
“Yellow fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, presents symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, back pain, body aches, and jaundice,” he said.
Idris underscored the importance of vaccination against yellow fever to provide lifelong immunity.
He reiterated the crucial need for vaccination against yellow fever and the importance of using mosquito repellent, wearing protective clothing, and removing stagnant water to reduce mosquito breeding areas.
He said that increased rainfall and flooding significantly affect the transmission of waterborne diseases, including yellow fever and cholera.