Nigeria: Fears of impending epidemic outbreaks in Nigeria



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By Chukwuma Muanya

Reasons have emerged to explain the next epidemic outbreak in Nigeria and some other African and Asian countries.

Recent reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Center for Disease Control of Nigeria (NCDC), and the journal Nature Communications revealed low levels of vaccination against deadly diseases the country and Africa; anti-vaccine movement, particularly in the United States and Europe, which fueled measles incidents and deaths.

In addition, rising temperatures worldwide have resulted in an increase in the number of mosquitoes and other vector-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, zika and dengue fever.

The period from November to May is the peak of disease transmission in Nigeria and other countries where Lbada fever, cerebrospinal meningitis and yellow fever are endemic.

The latest Lbada fever update from the NCDC revealed that 11 new confirmed cases have been reported in five states – five for Ondo; two to Edo; two others for Bauchi; one in Ebonyi and one in Taraba and a new death also recorded in the Northeast State.

The Center for Disease Control reported that from January 1 to April 7, 2019, 2,133 suspected cases were reported in 21 states, of which 537 were positive, 15 probable, and 1,581 negative (not one).

The NCDC noted that since the beginning of this year, 122 deaths have been recorded in confirmed cases and the case fatality rate was 22.7%.

The center named the 21 states and Abuja that had at least recorded a confirmed incident in 81 local councils, including Edo; Ondo; Bauchi; Nasarawa; Ebonyi; Tray; Taraba; Adamawa; Gombe; Kaduna and Kwara.

The others are Benue; The rivers; Kogi; Enugu; Imo; Delta; Oyo; Kebbi and Cross River.

In addition, NCDC statistics showed that between 1 October 2018 and 27 March 2019, a total of 541 suspected meningitis cases and 48 deaths were reported in 15 states.

The center observed that 47 samples were positive for bacterial meningitis. Neisseria meningitides serogroup C (NmC) accounted for 34% (16) of the positive cases.

A study published April 11, 2019 in the journal Nature Communications found that vaccination levels against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (whooping cough) in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Mozambique and Cambodia, Southeast Asia 80% threshold recommended by WHO.

The implication being that the potential for disease circulation and epidemic in these countries remains high.

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