Disease outbreak across 16 states kills 9

January 9, 2018 11:34 AM

The predominant age groups affected by the disease outbreak are 20 years and below.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed that a yellow fever outbreak across 16 states in the country has resulted in the death of 9 people who were confirmed to have been infected.

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In its latest situation report released on January 2, 2018, the agency reported that the disease is active in 62 local government areas across Abia, Borno, Kogi, Kwara, Kebbi, Plateau, Zamfara, Enugu, Oyo, Anambra, Edo, Lagos, Kano, Nasarawa, Katsina and Niger States.

The outbreak reportedly started in Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State, on September 12, 2017, and has resulted in a total of 358 suspected yellow fever cases listed as at January 2.

Of 230 samples collected so far, 63 (27.4%) tested positive for yellow fever and 1 (0.4%) was inconclusive in tests carried out in Nigerian laboratories with only 33 of those samples (51.6%) confirmed positive by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Reference Laboratory in Dakar, Senegal. 24 were negative and 7 results are being awaited.

According to the report, the predominant age groups affected by the disease outbreak are 20 years and below (67.8%), with a male to female ratio of 1.6 to 1 (Male 62.0%, Female 38.0%)