LAGOS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A health official in Nigeria on Thursday confirmed six cases of yellow fever in the northeast state of Gombe.
Nuhu Vile, an epidemiologist with the state health authorities, told media the confirmed patients were treated and discharged.
Yellow fever cases has been reported in northeastern Nigeria, including the states of Bauchi and Borno, since August 29.
No death case has been recorded in the state, he said, noting that investigation conducted by experts showed that the case originated from Yankari, neighboring Bauchi state.
The state government had set up a team to address the problem, the health expert said, while calling on the people to always report cases of fever to health facilities for quick examination and treatment.
According to him, yellow fever was caused by mosquito and therefore urged people to sanitize their environment.
Vile advised parents to ensure that they vaccinated their children from early age during the routine immunization.
He said once a child was immunized before he or she attained 9 months, chances of getting infected would be minimal.
Yellow fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease which causes bleeding which may come out from any of the body openings. It is spread through the bite of infected aedes mosquito with symptoms such as fever with jaundice in the early stages and with multiple organ dysfunctions resulting in kidney and liver failure.
