ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
** 18 killed of Lassa Fever in Bauchi in 2020
** Yellow fever deaths rise to 10
The Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency has disclosed that eight Corps members currently undergoing the three weeks mandatory orientation exercise of the National Youth Service scheme at the Orientation Camp in Wailo, have tested positive to COVID-19.
The Information Officer, of the Agency, Ibrahim Sani, who stated this in a statement he made available to journalists on Friday added that as of 19th November 2020, there have been raising cases of outbreaks in some communities in the state.
“On the recent reopening of NYSC camps, a surveillance investigation had revealed that out of 600 reported in the camp, 8 corps members were reported to have tested positive to COVID-19 in Wailo Camp of Ganjuwa Local Government area.
“To further ensure de-escalation, the Executive Chairman has instructed the Surveillance Team to carry out samples collection and investigation of all corps members undergoing training in the camp and a holding room has since been allocated by the Director NYSC for those that are suspected/positive cases,” he said.
Sani also disclosed that 18 people have died out of the 47 confirmed lassa fever cases in the state so far this year.
According to him, a three year old child who was tested by the National Center for Disease Control, died of complications.
He said: “On the Lassa fever reoccurrence, 47 persons have been confirmed positive this year, with 18 total number of deaths from the confirmed cases.
“Unfortunately, we received a shocking report of three year old female child who died of Lassa fever complications two weeks ago after she was confirmed positive by the NCDC laboratory test.
“As we gather this report, three new cases were also reported with two from Toro while Tafawa Balewa local government recorded one new case.”
The Information Officer said that as a result of this new development, the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, has instructed all the 4 Pillars of the State Rapid Response Team such as Surveillance/Contact Tracing, Case management, Environmental Management, and Risk Communication to swing into action in order to robustly downscale the intensity of these outbreaks in all the identified communities in Bauchi State.
Sani informed that two more deaths suspected to be yellow fever have been recorded bringing the total number of deaths in the State to 10 since the outbreak of the disease this year.
He said that already, the Commissioner of Health in the state, Dr. Aliyu Maigoro, along with the Executive Chairman (SPHCDA) have activated various Rapid Response Teams at State and local government levels and even conducted a series of meetings to underscore the magnitude of these new emerging cases.
He added that in respect to indepth investigation, the Primary Health Care Development Agency boss has ordered for scientific entomological investigation in some villages and communities in order to study the type of mosquitoes that continue to become a source of concern in those communities pointing out that a research is still ongoing.
“However, the Executive Chairman has also revealed that after a detailed active case investigation report, two more people died of suspected Yellow fever putting the number of deaths to 10.
“As the cases exacerbate, so far more than 800 persons were vaccinated for Yellow Fever in Ganjuwa as a response to halt the spread of Yellow fever in the area.
“Having realized that the NYSC Wailo camp is located at Ganjuwa LGA, the PHC Boss has ordered for mass vaccinations of the entire camp as a strategy to safeguard the health condition of corps members who were posted to serve in the state.
“The index case for this year’s Yellow fever was a 3 year old child which portends a worrisome situation since Yellow fever vaccination started 10 years ago in Nigeria,” Sani stated.
According to him, one of the challenges the state is facing is that results are being delayed by the Abuja NCDC National Reference laboratories after they have been sent for investigation.
He said that so far, about 60 samples of suspected Yellow fever cases and another 63 samples of suspected Lassa fever were sent for an investigation in the past 11 days.
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