Measles: NCDC laments non-vaccination as cases spread to eight states

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has announced the outbreak of measles in eight states of the federation.

The NCDC, in the latest measles report, announced the affected states as Jigawa, Anambra, Katsina, Rivers, Enugu, Delta, Osun and Sokoto, while 908 suspected cases had been reported so far.

The centre also stated that there was an ongoing outbreak of measles in Zamfara, which had not been confirmed due to a lack of testing reagents in the country, adding that 58.7 per cent of confirmed cases had not been vaccinated.

Measles, a viral infection, is spread through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing and sneezing.

The NCDC noted that in 2021, a total of 15,792 suspected cases were reported across 683 local government areas.

So far this year, a total of 908 suspected cases have been reported in 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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The NCDC added, “Thirteen LGAs across eight states have recorded an outbreak of measles in 2022. The states are Jigawa, Katsina, Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Osun and Sokoto.

“There is an ongoing outbreak of suspected measles cases in Zamfara, but this is awaiting confirmation due to the stock out of measles testing in reagents in the country.

“Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Anambra accounted for 55.2 per cent of the 908 suspected cases reported so far. Up to 58.7 per cent of the confirmed cases have not received a dose of measles vaccine.”

The NCDC noted that 100 per cent of cases recorded in Jigawa, Sokoto, Enugu and Katsina were not vaccinated.

The centre also noted that 54.4 per cent were not vaccinated in Borno; 50 per cent in Akwa Ibom; 66.7 per cent in Delta; 50 per cent in Ekiti; 25 per cent in Lagos; 83.3 per cent in Osun; 8.3 per cent in Oyo; and 50 per cent in Rivers.

“Of the 908 suspected cases reported, 88 were laboratory confirmed, 166 clinically compatible, 148 were discarded and 506 are pending classification,” the centre added.

The NCDC listed the affected states as Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara for the northern states.

Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers are for the southern states.

A consultant paediatrician at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Olatunde Ogundare, explained that the country was in dire need of herd immunity to curtail the outbreak of the disease.

A Professor of Medical Virology, University of Maiduguri, Marycelin Baba, reiterated the need to speed up immunisation and explained that low immunisation would continue to give rise to the resurgence of childhood diseases.