The Edo State Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed an outbreak of Dengue Fever, announcing that 86 cases have been reported across several local government areas of the state.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, who disclosed this during a press briefing, assured residents that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo remains fully committed to protecting public health and will continue working until all outbreaks are under control.
To respond to the outbreak, Dr. Oshiomhole revealed that the Director of Public Health, Dr. Stephenson Ojiefoh, has been appointed as the Incident Manager to coordinate efforts.
He added, “The Emergency Operation Center has also been activated, and the Ministry is rolling out a statewide response plan. This includes surveillance, case management, vector control, and environmental sanitation across all affected areas.”
He urged healthcare workers throughout the state to be on high alert and to report any suspected cases promptly.
The press briefing was attended by representatives from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the State Disease Surveillance Team, Ministry of Health directors, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and other key stakeholders.
Oshiomhole explained that Dengue Fever is caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti. He warned that the disease spreads rapidly in environments with poor sanitation and stagnant water, which serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
To help curb the spread, he said, “Residents are advised to keep their surroundings clean, cover water containers, use mosquito nets, apply insect repellents, and destroy mosquito breeding sites.”
Providing updates on other disease outbreaks in the state, the Commissioner reported that Lassa Fever has so far recorded 137 confirmed cases with 24 deaths.
Yellow Fever has two confirmed cases with one death, Monkeypox (Npox) has eight confirmed cases with no deaths, while Diphtheria has eight confirmed cases resulting in three deaths.
