…As Health Ministry Releases Public Health Advisory on Yellow Fever

Following the confirmed cases of Yellow Fever in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State and the concerted efforts to control the situation in the LGA by the Enugu State Government, Stakeholders and Partners; Federal and International, reports have also been received of “strange deaths” within communities in Nsukka, Isi-Uzo and Igbo-Etiti LGAs.

The Enugu State Ministry of Health Rapid Response Team, LGA Rapid Response Teams, International and National Partners have also visited these LGAs to investigate the reports and take samples for testing just as was done for the reports at Igboeze North.

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, in a statement disclosed that the new set of samples from the LGAs have been sent to the National Reference Laboratory at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja “for a thorough and complete examination to determine conclusively the reasons for these new set of reports and the results are expected back early this week.”

On the loss of lives due to the epidemic, state government in the statement condoled with families who lost loved ones, saying “Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones in these times”.

Making recommendations, which the general public were urged to adhere to, the state Ministry of Health, in its Public Health Advisory, explained that “Yellow Fever is transmitted through mosquito bites, thus remove mosquito breeding sites around your environment.

“Yellow Fever Vaccination is not for treatment of Yellow Fever, it is for prevention of Yellow Fever.

“If you have been recently vaccinated against Yellow Fever, you do not need to be vaccinated again.

“It takes 10 days or more for Yellow fever vaccine to start working after you have received it.

“If you or your loved one are not feeling well, please visit or take your loved one to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“Trained Health Workers can recognize most of the diseases of public health importance and know what to do.

“Once more we thank our Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, President Generals of town Unions, other stakeholders and the good people of Enugu State who have in so many ways continued to contribute to this expedited response to the Yellow Fever epidemic in Enugu State”, the statement concluded.

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