By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In a follow-up on the suspect yellow fever outbreak in Izzi Local Government Area (LGA) in Ebonyi State in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports between May 1 and August 7, 2019, there had been cases that fit into the case definition for Yellow fever and 20 deaths in Izzi LGA, Ebonyi State, indicating that the outbreak may have been going on for a few months undetected by local health authorities.

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NCDC has had a Rapid Response Team supporting Ebonyi State’s response since the 30th of July 2019.

Three cases had tested positive for Yellow fever at NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory, which triggered an immediate response.

Yellow fever virus is spread through bites of an infected mosquito. There is no human-to-human transmission of the virus. Yellow fever is a completely vaccine preventable disease and a single shot provides immunity for a lifetime. The Yellow fever vaccine is available for free in primary health care centres in Nigeria as part of the routine immunization schedule.

Since September 2017, Nigeria has recorded suspected cases of Yellow fever in all States in the country. As at the 31st of July 2019, 78 cases have been laboratory confirmed in Nigeria in 2019 alone.