The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a dengue fever outbreak in Edo State, recorded between June 9 and 13, 2025.
The dengue fever outbreak was confirmed through lab diagnostics, highlighting the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases, the agency affirmed.
Dengue fever is a viral infection spread by Aedes mosquitoes, causing high fever, headache, rash, and joint pain.
Severe cases may lead to bleeding and shock. There’s no cure but prevention through mosquito control and vaccination is essential.
NCDC, however, assured that it is working closely with state authorities to strengthen surveillance, enhance clinical management, and intensify mosquito control measures.
The confirmation comes as the NCDC issued a national health alert on Thursday, warning of a heightened risk of infectious disease outbreaks, including cholera and yellow fever, due to severe flooding across multiple states.
The NCDC Director General (DG), Dr. Jide Idris, said the agency reacted following a flood advisory issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified over 20 states, including Lagos, Sokoto, Edo, Benue, and Kaduna as vulnerable to flash floods throughout July.
NiMet specifically warned that States such as Zamfara, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Niger, and Adamawa face particularly high risks, raising public health concerns in flood-prone communities.
According to Idris, floodwaters often contaminate drinking water sources, carrying bacteria and viruses from sewage, soil, and animal waste into rivers and wells, which he said, significantly increases the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, already surging in several regions.
The agency also raised concerns about stagnant water collecting in flooded areas, which serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes responsible for the transmission of yellow fever, dengue fever, and malaria.
“Cholera cases are on the rise across the country, and yellow fever and dengue fever have also been detected in some states,” Idris noted, warning that the outbreaks come amid ongoing national responses to other diseases like Mpox and diphtheria.
As of June 29, the alert indicated that cholera cases had been reported in 34 States, with Zamfara accounting for 32 percent of suspected infections while other high-burden States include Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, and Adamawa.
Regarding yellow fever, the NCDC said seven confirmed cases had been reported across Abia, Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Rivers States.
The agency emphasized that under Nigeria’s public health laws, even a single confirmed case constitutes an outbreak.
To tackle these outbreaks, the NCDC is partnering with state health ministries, development agencies, and community leaders to improve disease tracking, deploy rapid response teams, and raise public awareness through education and communication.
The agency also confirmed ongoing yellow fever vaccination campaigns in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to reduce the risk of transmission in affected areas.
Citizens were urged to be vigilant for symptoms such as high fever, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and headaches.
The agency also warned against self-medication, especially as symptoms can resemble malaria, and stressed the importance of seeking prompt medical attention.
To curb mosquito-borne diseases, the public was advised to clear stagnant water, cover water containers, use insect repellents, wear long-sleeved clothing, and sleep under insecticide-treated nets.
While the agency reiterated that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent yellow fever, health workers were reminded to consider dengue in patients presenting with unexplained fevers and to immediately report suspected cases, as dengue remains a notifiable disease under Nigerian law.
The NCDC further called on governments and local authorities to invest in better sanitation and drainage infrastructure to help prevent future outbreaks and safeguard public health during the rainy season.
