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  • FG warns Nigerians against outbreak of meningitis

    FG warns Nigerians against outbreak of meningitis

    The Federal government has warned Nigerians about the increased risk of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) during the dry season, characterized by dust, winds, and cold nights, saying that in 2023, 190 lives were lost to this disease.

    It said the warning becomes important as the weather condition brings with it frequent upper respiratory tract infections that increase the risk of infection, especially with crowding and poor ventilation.

    In the 2022/2023 period, Nigeria reported 2,765 suspected and 303 confirmed cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), resulting in 190 deaths.

    These cases were spread across 140 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 30 States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as stated by Ifedayo Adetifa, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

    According to him, the highest burden of CSM in Nigeria occurs in the “Meningitis Belt” which includes all 19 states in the Northern region, FCT, and some southern states such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun.

    Adetifa, in a public health advisor issued on Thursday, however, assured that the government is working to prevent, detect, and respond to cases of the disease.

    He noted that though, despite significant progress in surveillance, diagnostic capacity, and vaccination over the last few years, CSM remains a priority disease and ever-present public health threat in Nigeria with annual outbreaks in high-burden states that present a challenge for people, health systems, economies, and communities.

    However, he said the NCDC, in collaboration with MDAs and partners through the CSM TWG, has implemented several measures to ensure enhanced coordination, collaboration, and communication for CSM response in Nigeria.

    Among other preventive measures, he said: “At the beginning of the season, all State Governments and public health authorities

    were alerted to the heightened risk of a CSM outbreak and the need for resource mobilisation for preparedness and response activities.

    “Routine meetings of the National multi-sectoral CSM TWG to coordinate prevention and preparedness activities.

    “Regular communication with high-burden states to ascertain status, progress, and challenges.

    Adetifa advised that it is important to ensure that everyone received the appropriate vaccination required to protect against meningitis while avoiding close and prolonged contact with a confirmed case of CSM including relatives.

    He also warned that smoking and overcrowding in households should be avoided, in addition to practicing proper respiratory hygiene when coughing or sneezing.

    The NCDC chief also warned that indoor air pollution, such as indoor cooking over open flames should be discouraged.

    “Practice good personal and hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap under

    running water or using hand sanitisers when necessary.

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    “Always keep your environment clean.

    “Visit the nearest health facility immediately if you notice any of the signs and symptoms

    associated with CSM mentioned earlier or call the State Ministry of Health hotline or

    6232 (NCDC toll-free line).

    “Avoid self-medication to prevent antimicrobial resistance and ensure proper diagnosis

    and early treatment”, he added.

    The advisory also urged healthcare workers to practice standard infection prevention and

    control practices, by wearing gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment

    while handling patients or providing care to an ill patient, among other preventive measures.

    Meningitis occurs when there is an acute inflammation of the covering of the brain and the spinal cord. CSM is an epidemic-prone disease with cases reported all year round in Nigeria.

    The disease is transmitted through direct person-to-person contact, including droplets from the nose and throat of infected persons, in addition to lose and prolonged contact with an infected individual, among others.

  • Abia confirms Lassa fever outbreak at FMC

    The Abia State Government has confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia

    Commissioner for Information John Okiyi, in a statement in Umuahia yesterday, said the government and the hospital management had swung into action to check the spread of the disease.

    “Abia Government is aware of the reported outbreak of Lassa Fever at FMC, Umuahia.

    “The state Ministry of Health is working with the authorities of FMC to ensure full containment of the disease,’’ he said.

    The commissioner added that prophylactic treatment of others, who may have come in contact with the victims had commenced in earnest.

    “We have fully deployed all our emergency medical response systems to instantly ensure full containment and management of the outbreak,’’ Okiyi said.

    He charged all those who had contact with the child, suspected to be the index case, and the medical practitioner, who lost her life, to report immediately to the hospital for further review.

    The commissioner assured the people that drug for treatment of the scourge was in adequate supply in the state.

    According to him, there is no cause for panic as the disease can be successfully treated, especially if diagnosed early.

    However, the authorities of the hospital have reacted to the government, saying that it was too early to conclude that the deceased contracted the disease in the hospital.

    Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Chuku Abali, said it would be premature to conclude that because a medical doctor in FMC died of the disease there was an outbreak of the disease in the hospital.

    Abali said that although the deceased tested positive did not mean that she contracted the disease until the hospital was through with the investigation.

    “We cannot say she got it at FMC or in any private clinic. If a patient is brought to FMC from the village with haemorrhage, you cannot conclude that it is Lassa Fever.

    “You know malaria and other diseases can cause similar symptoms,’’ he said.

    Abali confirmed that a team of investigators from the National Disease Control had arrived at the hospital to carry out thorough investigation on the matter.

    The CMD called for restraint until the end of the investigations, saying that the findings of the team would be made public.

    He gave assurance that the hospital was fully equipped to handle any ailment, including Lassa fever, but insisted that proper diagnosis had to be carried out first to be sure.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the deceased, whose identity was yet to be ascertained at the time of filing the report, contracted the disease after handling a child in the hospital suspected to be suffering from the disease.

    The doctor reportedly died on Sunday at Irua Specialist Hospital in Edo.

  • Don warns against bird flu outbreak

    Aformer Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, has  warned about the likelihood of avian flu outbreak with lasting implications for people’s livelihoods.

    H5N1 avian influenza, or bird flu, has spread across Nigeria and some West African countries in the past two years, hitting poultry farms.

    Nearly 3.5 million birds in Nigeria have been killed by the virus.

    Adeloye noted that though  the epidemic had ceased , there is likelihood of  occurrence with  importation of livestock.

    He called on animal health authorities and border agencies to monitor the movement of live livestock in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.

    According to him, there should be successful preventative measure for farmers and breeders.

    H5N1 bird flu first infected humans in 1997 in Hong Kong. It has since spread from Asia to Europe and Africa and has become entrenched in poultry in some countries, causing millions of poultry infections and several hundred human deaths.

    Last year, the Federal Government announced the outbreak  of Avian Influenza, popularly known as bird flu, was in 123 local government areas and 800 poultry farms across the country.

    According to the government, six states and the Federal Capital Territory had reported the disease in 2017, adding that the last reported outbreak was from Kaduna State on May 30 last year.

    The Federal Government explained that aside Kaduna, other states where the cases of bird flu were reported this year include Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa and Plateau.

    Bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease, initially of birds but affects other animal species and humans.

    The disease is spread by migratory wild birds and movement of infected birds and products, which can have serious socio-economic, public health, as well as security implications.

    Experts say the disease can kill all birds in a poultry farm and can cause 100 per cent mortality.

    The disease was first reported in Nigeria in 2006 and was successfully controlled and eradicated in July 2008.

  • Another Lassa fever outbreak

    Another Lassa fever outbreak

    • We need more than ritualistic response to a perennial public health problem

    Lassa fever has broken out in Ebonyi and Kogi states. So far, the infection had killed four citizens, including two doctors. As at the time of writing, there are already nine persons receiving treatment and 139 others under active surveillance. As expected, the Federal Ministry of Health has alerted WHO about the outbreak of Lassa fever and has provided support to states with cases of confirmed infection.

    Already, the disease has led to the closure of public and private schools in Ebonyi for seven days in the first instance, to prevent spread of the disease among school children. And patients receiving treatment not related to Lassa at the National Obstretic Fistula Centre (NOFIC) in Abakaliki have been evacuated to prevent being exposed to Lassa infection. Further, patients diagnosed with Lassa fever in Kogi have been taken for treatment to Irruain, Edo State.

    Expectedly, both federal and state governments have embarked on the usual response to outbreak of Lassa in the country: reminding medical staff of precautionary measures required for attending to those diagnosed with the fever; repeating the symptoms to which individuals should seek immediate diagnosis; sending medications to states experiencing Lassa fever. In addition, citizens in affected states are being reminded about how to avoid future occurrence: refraining from burning bush to avoid forcing rats to run into houses for protection; advising citizens to store their food, especially grains, gari, powdered food in securely covered containers; and avoiding bodily contact with rats and their urine and faeces. But the pattern of response is not different from that of past years.

    Between mid-May 2015 and August 2016, 289 citizens were infected by Lassa fever, which caused the death of 154 patients. And in January of 2017, six states were affected by Lassa fever: Plateau, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo, and about 20 patients died. The fast spread of the infection and loss of lives pushed the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to create Lassa Fever Eradication Committee to provide clues on how to prevent future outbreak of the disease. The committee had made recommendations to the government well ahead of this year’s dry season. This 2018 outbreak of Lassa fever exactly a year after the last outbreak should spark curiosity about the progress of the Lassa Fever Eradication Committee.

    We fully agree with complaints of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) about the ritualistic nature of response in the country to Lassa epidemic since 2013, especially in Ebonyi where over 40 had died of the disease since 2013. We find the observation of UGONSA that the outbreak in Ebonyi would have been avoidable if the government had lived up to expectation in the health care delivery system to be apt: “What we see each time we experience the avoidable death of health workers from Lassa fever is that government officials rush to the press to commiserate with the victims….Hypocritically, they resume the supply of basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hand sanitisers to hospitals.But as soon as the tension dies down, hand sanitisers, PPE, electricity and running water disappear and become essential commodities in our hospitals, leaving our nurses and physicians with the pathetic option of treating patients largely unprotected.”

    We implore both federal and state governments to pay more attention to quality and regularity of health care in the country, particularly in terms of preventive medicine which is universally much cheaper than curing people after they are diagnosed with Lassa and other infectious diseases. If nurses and other health workers cannot trust the government on regular supply of sanitisers in hospitals, why would government expect non-medical citizens to heed advice from health workers about importance of personal and public hygiene? Ministries of health all over the country need to obey their own rules at all time.

    In the short run, both federal and state governments should ensure that all forms of intervention necessary to stop spread of Lassa and prevent infection of medical staff attending to patients are put in place immediately. Losing three doctors in one week to a treatable disease is, to say the least, worrisome. In the long run, the government needs to collaborate with international organisations on research towards production of Lassa vaccine. A country without potable water for over 80% of its population and with erratic supply of electricity for proper storing of food, and erratic public health education cannot afford to delay further on production of vaccine against Lassa fever.

  • Niger spends N39m to combat meningitis outbreak

    Niger Government says it has spent N39 million to combat the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the state.

    The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mustapha Jibril, told newsmen on Friday in Mina that the state recorded 33 deaths out of its 123 CSM cases.

    Jubril said that a total of 4,100 tablets of Ciprofloxacin were distributed to contacts of suspected cases in the affected areas, including health workers. According to the commissioner, represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr Muhammed Usman, 12 local government areas were affected by the epidemic. “Magama LGA had 70 cases and recorded 31 deaths; in Rijau, 17 cases were recorded with one death; Kontagora had a record of 19 cases with one death.

    “The remaining nine LGAs are Suleja with six cases; Agwara, two cases; Paikoro, one case; Mashegu one case; Tafa, one case; Mariga, one case; Lapai one; Beji, one; and Bosso Local Government, one case without any death.

    “Thirty-three lives were lost in three of the affected local governments,’’ the commissioner said. Jibril said that Outbreak Response Centres had been activated to help curtail the spread of the disease.

  • Shettima vows to fight polio outbreak

    Shettima vows to fight polio outbreak

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has vowed to fight the outbreak of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV), which was discovered last week

    Shettima blamed the outbreak on the seizure of communities by Boko Haram insurgents.

    He spoke yesterday in Mainok, Kaga Local Government when he launched the distribution of foodstuff and farm aid donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The initiative targets 40,000 victims to benefit from foodstuff and funding of farming activities.

    According to him, from December 2013 till end of 2015, as well early 2016, it was impossible to access many communities to administer the polio vaccine because insurgents took over over 20 councils.

    His words: “Back in November 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recognised Borno as the most committed in fighting polio in the Northeast despite insurgency. It is, however, unfortunate that a fresh case was identified last week.

    “While this is officially painful and embarrassing, the outbreak is largely due to the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.

    “From December 2013 to the end of 2015, we had hundreds of communities in 20 councils seized by Boko Haram; many roads were practically under their command.

    “Residents wandered for months in the deserts and forests, scampering for safety in the wake of attacks on their communities; thousands were trapped in communities around the Sambisa, the shores of the Lake Chad and around territories being administered by Boko Haram; many were held captive while hundreds of children were born in captivity.

    “Everyone can testify that it was impossible for the government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunisation under such an atmosphere.

    “Now under the current administration, most communities have been freed and this made it possible to diagnose the children held captive and those hitherto trapped.

    “We know that a problem identified is a problem half-solved. Our communities are mostly free and this makes room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign.

    “Unlike before, we don’t envisage the killing of health workers administering polio and other preventive vaccine in most of our communities, which they couldn’t access since 2014.

    “The tide has now changed. In the past, our people were running but today, it is Boko Haram that is on the run,” Shettima explained.

    Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Dr Babagana Umara Zulum said two trucks of foodstuff, as well as two farms in Damboa and Konduga, funded through the Gates foundation, were ready for access.

  • Rains may increase crop disease outbreak, losses

    Rather than help crops to grow, the rains may lead to their destruction this year, experts have warned.

    According to the experts, several plant diseases are more common during wet season.

    They said favourable conditions for infection and plant damage include wet and compacted soils.

    From findings, it has been confirmed that pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses)  are widespread and persistent in field soils during the season.

    The experts said, seedling diseases could begin after the planting of the seed and  continue for several weeks. One clue is reduced emergence and other clues are seedling death, yellowing, or stunting. The problems, they said, might start when the soil is wet, although may be delayed a week or more after wet conditions occurred.

    Senior Lecturer, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Prof. Dan Gwary explained that seedling diseases occur as excessive rainfall and fluctuating temperature create excellent conditions for them.

    Gwary said wet and flooded soils produced after heavy rains are favourable for  soil borne, moisture-loving fungus and diseases.

    He said they damage seedlings and even mature plants. To prevent this, he advised farmers to check fields for seedling disease, and efficacy of seed treatments.

    A former dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, said  normal rainfall would be good, and more would be better, but too much at the wrong time could damage or kill certain plants.

    He said farmers are at risk when there is above-normal rainfall.

    He urged farmers not to expose their farms to floodwaters.

    He advised farmers to observe basic farm safety and sanitation practices to avoid nurturing platforms for the spread of diseases.

  • Group walks to prevent epidemics outbreak

    The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Ojodu Central Branch in conjunction with Ojodu Muslim Council of Ojodu Local Council Development Area on Saturday organised a fitness walk against epidemics outbreal.

    The walk, which was kicked off by the paramount ruler of Ojodu, Oba Dhikirullah Obatula, started from Ojodu, through Bemil, Excellence Hotel roundabout, Kosoko road and ended at Ojodu.

    MSSN Amir Hassan Mahmud told The Nation that campaigns have been held to combat the epidemics outbreak.

    “We found out that 70 per cent of Ojodu residents are youths, they need to engage in activities that will gear them into a healthy hygiene, they also consume excess sugar without burning them. Research has shown that one of the best ways to maintain good health is to constantly engage in physical activity as regular exercise has also shown prevention of heart diseases such as cancer, diabetes and weight control.

    “We realised that walking strengthens the bones and joints than running or aerobic, but it still helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, consistent activities like walking reduces risk of having hip fracture. A review of 24 studies on aerobic exercise and bone mineral density in women suggest that walking for just 30 minutes per day is enough to increase bone density by a moderate amount compared to non-exercisers.”

    Mahmud noted that walking may seem like a leisurely activity for weight control adding: “With the right intensity, it can elevate heart rate and burn serious calories. I commend the government’s effort for ensuring the information get to the grassroots. But, we felt that community based organisations (CBOs) and faith-based organisations need to complement the effort of the government to reach more people as it is a collective effort to achieve a healthy environment”.

  • 37 die of yellow fever outbreak in Angola

    A yellow fever outbreak in Angola has killed 37 people since December 2015, with eight new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

    The country’s National Director of Health, Mr Adelaide de Carvalho, stated this late Wednesday as the news caused panic across the nation.

    The outbreak of yellow fever, which is transmitted by mosquito bites, began in the Luanda suburb of Viana but has spread to other areas of the southern African country with 191 people infected so far.

    De Carvalho said health officials were monitoring suburbs around the capital of Luanda where infections have been worsened by unsanitary conditions caused by a garbage collection backlog.

    “Actions should be developed for the improvement of public sanitary and garbage collection,” de Carvalho said.

    Symptoms of yellow fever include sudden fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • No Lassa fever outbreak in Oyo

    •Osun begins sensitisation

    The Oyo State government yesterday denied an outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

    Speaking through its Ministry of Health, it said no case of Lassa fever has been established in the state since last year when the first suspected case was subjected to clinical test at the Federal Ministry of Health’s reference laboratory in Lagos.

    In a statement yesterday by the ministry’s Acting Director of Public Health, Dr. Taiwo Ladipo, the government insisted that the three suspected cases reported and diagnosed at the University College Hospital (UCH) had no feature of the disease.

    Oladipo, however, cautioned residents against consumption of rodents and to avoid contact with the blood, urine and faeces of rats when killing them.

    Ladipo said: “Two suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported by the UCH, Ibadan last year.

    “Both cases, though diagnosed at the institution, were not verified by the Federal Ministry of Health reference laboratory in Lagos. Both cases had remarkable improvement and subsequently discharged.

    “The last case was reported by UCH on December 18, last year and the ministry embarked on contact tracing of all potential contacts of the index case.

    “Seventy-two (72) individuals from the referring hospital were observed for three weeks for any traces of the disease.

    “At the end of this period, there were no features of the illness in all contacts. The index case has since been discharged from the UCH.”

    He added that sensitisation of clinicians from the public and private sectors had been carried out to increase physicians’ index of suspected cases and the need for prompt referrals.

    The director advised residents with non-specific symptoms such as fever, facial swelling, muscle fatigue, conjunctivitis and mucosal bleeding, as well as symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ache, constipation, dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing), among others to report immediately at the nearest health institution.

    The Osun State government will this week begin to sensitise residents about the  disease.

    At a briefing at the weekend, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Temitope Oladele, added that the government would do massive education for people and series of awareness campaigns and programmes through the radio jingles on how to prevent the disease, symptoms and where to get immediate medical help.

    According to him, medical officers in the state and local government health facilities would be given a refresher’s training on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of the disease to prepare them ahead of an occurrence.

    However, Oladele said no single case of the disease has been recorded in the state.