NCDC Records 980 Cases Of Measles In Eight States

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced the outbreak of measles in eight states of the federation while also adding that about 980 cases were recorded in various states.
The NCDC via its official website, at the weekend, said that the eight states affected are Jigawa, Anambra, Katsina, Rivers, Enugu, Delta, Osun and Sokoto, in which 908 suspected cases had been reported so far.
Measles is a very contagious infection caused by a virus and it is common among children.
The main symptoms of measles are red-brown blotchy rashes and cold-like symptoms.
It is spread through coughs and sneezes and is usually contacted before the symptoms fully develop.
The public health agency also stated that there was an ongoing outbreak of measles in Zamfara, which had not been confirmed due to lack of testing reagents.
It said that 58.7per cent of confirmed cases were those that had not been vaccinated, adding that a total of 15,792 suspected cases were reported across 683 local government areas (LGAs) across the country.
“So far this year, a total of 908 suspected cases have been reported in 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Thirteen LGAs across eight states have recorded an outbreak of measles in 2022. The states are Jigawa, Katsina, Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Osun and Sokoto. There is an ongoing outbreak of suspected measles cases in Zamfara, but this is awaiting confirmation due to lack of its testing kits in the country.
“Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Anambra accounted for 55.2per cent of the 908 suspected cases reported so far. Up to 58.7per cent of the confirmed cases have not received a dose of measles vaccine,” it explained.
The NCDC stated that 100per cent of cases recorded in Jigawa, Sokoto, Enugu and Katsina were not vaccinated.
The agency also said that 54.4per cent were not vaccinated in Borno; 50per cent in Akwa Ibom; 66.7per cent in Delta; 50per cent in Ekiti; 25per cent in Lagos; 83.3per cent in Osun; 8.3per cent in Oyo; and 50per cent in Rivers.
“Of the 908 suspected cases reported, 88 were laboratory confirmed, 166 clinically compatible, 148 were discarded and 506 are pending classification,” it added.
It was reported that between January and August, 2021, there were 67,000 cases of measles across the country.
In the previous year, the number of measles cases reached 9,300.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in 2018, about 140,000 deaths from measles were recorded worldwide, adding that majority of the deaths were registered in countries with low income and weak health facilities.