Panic looms as Bauchi govt confirms outbreak of yellow fever

There was panic and fear in Bauchi State as the government declared an outburst of yellow fever in the state.

The outbreak of the disease was confirmed around Yankari Games Reserve.

The situation, as gathered, eventually led to the death of four students of the College of Education, Waka-Biu in Borno State.

The students were on an excursion in the school, but 12 were hospitalized as a result of the disease.

The Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (BSPHCDA) Dr. Rilwan Mohammed revealed the situation in a statement on Thursday evening.

He said the Ministry of Health in the State had received a report of a confirmed yellow fever case from the Kano State Ministry of Health which was linked to Yankari Game Reserve.

The secretary further said that the Ministry also received reports from Gombe and Borno States of suspected cases which were linked to the Reserve.

Mohammed also revealed that the reports prompted the State Rapid Response Team comprising of all relevant stakeholders to visit the Yankari Games Reserve on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, to investigate the incidence.

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His words: “The Team discovered that there was a possibility of a yellow fever outbreak which is being investigated. So far, six samples have been collected from suspected cases for testing in the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and at the Regional Laboratory in Dakar – Senegal.”

He added that “Main confirmation will come from Dakar – Senegal added that: “Additional investigations and other control measures are being put in place by the state with the support of agencies and relevant partners in the state and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control in ongoing.”

The Executive Secretary also said that the samples of the students who came for holidays at the Yankari Games Reserve have been taken, “and some of them were also reactive but we are still not confirming the case (of yellow fever) until the Dakar case is actually confirmed, but I can beat my chest and say that we are having the case but as for now, it is a suspected and reactive outbreak of yellow fever in Bauchi state.”

He however, maintained that over 600 people in Yankari and its surroundings were vaccinated, adding that vaccinations will also be carried out in all the 20 LGAs in the state so as to prevent it from spreading.

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