Rilwanu Mohammed, Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHDA), said on Thursday that 29 people had died from an outbreak of yellow fever in the state.
Mohammed made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on the outbreak of yellow fever in the state.
“We discovered 224 suspected cases, and 29 were confirmed dead, with 24 in Alkaleri Local Government Area, two in Bauchi Local Government Area, 1 in Darazo Council Area and two in Ningi Local Government Area,” he said.
Mohammed explained that the virus was first detected in Alkaleri Council Area in September, adding that efforts had since been on to avoid further spread.
He said that government was doing everything possible to ensure that the disease did not spread to the state capital.
“That is why government has made efforts through vaccination of people living in the prone areas.
“Already, 500,000 doses of vaccines had been administered in Alkaleri and we are expecting 600,000 doses of vaccines to be administered in Ningi community,” he said.
According to the BSPHDA chairman, yellow fever is not a communicable disease, adding that it can only be transmitted through mosquitoes.
He urged communities to give early information to the authorities, especially when they noticed unusual happenings around them.
Mohammed also urged the residents of the state not to reject vaccines, saying that this was the only way they could be free from the dreaded disease.
