Dengue Fever Outbreak Spreads in Sokoto

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced the outbreak of dengue fever in Sokoto state.

The center’s Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, said the outbreak of the disease was first discovered in November 2023.

He reported 71 suspected cases in the state, confirming 13, with no reported deaths. Adetifa indicated that 60 cases occurred in Sokoto South, three in Wamako, and one in Dange Shuni Local Government Areas.

The director general said the center has the capacity to respond effectively in the event of a large-scale outbreak of the disease.

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He explained that there is diagnostic capacity at the NCDC national reference laboratory in Abuja, the laboratory center for human and zoonotic virology at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

This has built our preparedness and response capabilities for viral haemorrhagic fevers like the dengue virus over the years.

Currently, there is a diagnostics capacity for the dengue virus at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and the Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto Teaching Hospital Laboratory Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology.

However, the NCDC will proceed to optimise existing Lassa fever testing laboratories and others within the NCDC national laboratory network for DENV diagnosis to improve preparedness and readiness in the event of a large-scale outbreak, it said.

It added that an effective response system is in place with the availability of control capacities to limit the risk of spread to other states.