By Ozioruva Aliu

The State Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed an outbreak of Dengue Fever, with 86 cases reported across several local government areas in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, stated this during a press briefing, assuring that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo remains fully committed to protecting residents’ health and will continue to work until all outbreaks are under control.

To address the situation, Dr. Oshiomhole said the Director of Public Health, Dr. Stephenson Ojiefoh, has been appointed incident manager to lead the response. He added, “The Emergency Operation Center has been activated, and the Ministry is rolling out a statewide response plan.

This plan includes surveillance, case management, vector control, and environmental sanitation across all affected areas.”

He urged healthcare workers across the state to be on high alert and report any suspected cases promptly.

Present at the briefing were representatives of 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.

The Commissioner explained that Dengue Fever is caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti. The disease spreads rapidly, especially in areas with poor sanitation and stagnant water, which serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

To prevent the spread, he advised residents to keep their surroundings clean, cover water containers, use mosquito nets, apply insect repellents, and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

In addition to Dengue Fever, the health commissioner provided updates on other disease situations in the state. He reported 137 confirmed cases of Lassa Fever with 24 deaths, two confirmed cases of Yellow Fever with one death, eight confirmed cases of Monkeypox (Npox) with no deaths, and eight cases of Diphtheria with three deaths.