Nigeria reports dengue outbreak in Sokoto State
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced this weekend an outbreak of dengue fever in Sokoto State in the extreme northwest of the country in November.
According to the health agency, 71 suspected cases, 13 confirmed cases and zero deaths have been reported in the state. Currently, the virus has been reported in three (3) local government areas (LGAs): Sokoto South (60 cases), Wamako (3 cases) and Dange Shuni (1 case). The majority of the suspected cases reported fall between the age range of 21- 40 years.
No severe disease or death has been reported.
Only Sokoto state has reported confirmed cases so far and only three (3) of the 23 local government areas (LGAs) in the states are affected.
Nigeria diphtheria outbreak: Latest numbers, Travel advisory
Nigerians especially people living in Sokoto are urged to adhere strictly to the following preventive measures:
• Wear clothes that cover as much of your body as possible to avoid mosquito bites.
• Sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets and use insect-repellent in sleeping areas.
• Ensure proper sanitation of your environment to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes.
• Call 6232 or other dedicated hotlines by State Ministries of Health to ensure all persons with suspected symptoms of dengue fever described above are promptly taken to designated healthcare facilities by the responsible State Ministry of Health for prompt diagnosis and initiation of supportive treatment.
Africa has reported 243,311 total (confirmed, probable and suspected) dengue cases and 699 deaths this year to date, with Burkina Faso accounting for the majority of cases/deaths.
World Health Organization infectious diseases specialist, Jeremy Farrar, said earlier this year, dengue is likely to “take off” and become endemic in parts of the United States, Europe and Africa - all regions where there has already been some limited local transmission - as global warming makes new areas hospitable to the mosquitoes that spread it. That will put acute pressure on hospital systems in many countries, he warned.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection. The infection causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. The global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades. About half of the world’s population is now at risk. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of dengue. The virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. After virus incubation for 4-10 days, an infected mosquito is capable of transmitting the virus for the rest of its life. Infected symptomatic or asymptomatic humans are the main carriers and multipliers of the virus, serving as a source of the virus for uninfected mosquitoes. Patients who are already infected with the dengue virus can transmit the infection (for 4-5 days; maximum 12) via Aedes mosquitoes after their first symptoms appear.
Dengue should be suspected when a high fever (40°C/104°F) is accompanied by 2 of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash. Symptoms usually last for 2-7 days, after an incubation period of 4-10 days after the bite from an infected mosquito. Severe dengue is a potentially deadly complication due to plasma leaking, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment.
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. For severe dengue, medical care by physicians and nurses experienced with the effects and progression of the disease can save lives – decreasing mortality rates from more than 20% to less than 1%. Maintenance of the patient’s body fluid volume is critical to severe dengue care.
The main method to control or prevent the transmission of dengue virus is to combat vector mosquitoes. Careful clinical detection and management of dengue patients can significantly reduce mortality rates from severe dengue.
A dengue vaccine has been licensed by several National Regulatory Authorities for use in people 9-45 years of age living in endemic settings.