The Sokoto State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Dengue fever in parts of the state, with eight cases already detected in the metropolitan local government areas of Sokoto North and Sokoto South.
The confirmation was contained in a public health advisory issued by the State Ministry of Health and signed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Farouk Abubakar.
According to the advisory, health authorities have observed increasing reports of fever and severe malaria-like symptoms across several communities.
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Dr. Abubakar urged all healthcare workers to be on high alert and intensify surveillance and case-management efforts.
He advised clinicians to maintain a strong suspicion of Dengue fever in patients presenting with fever, headaches, joint pains, body aches, or rashes, particularly when malaria rapid diagnostic tests return negative or symptoms persist despite treatment.
The ministry further directed health workers to promptly report all suspected cases to the LGA Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer and ensure blood samples are sent to the State Epidemiology Unit for confirmation.
They were also cautioned against prescribing NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and aspirin for suspected cases, recommending paracetamol instead for fever relief.
Healthcare facilities were instructed to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, maintain proper waste disposal, and support community sensitization on environmental sanitation to curb mosquito breeding.
The advisory also called for immediate reporting of any unusual fever clusters or unexplained deaths to relevant surveillance authorities.
The government expressed appreciation for the dedication of health workers and urged them to remain calm but vigilant.
For additional information, healthcare providers were directed to contact the Commissioner for Health, the Director of Public Health (08066721261), or the State Epidemiologist (08069678313).
Daily Trust gathered that residents of the affected areas have, for the past two months, been raising concerns over an unusual number of deaths recorded in their communities.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that several people had died as a result of the outbreak.
"If you visit our cemetery, you'll see how frequently corpses are brought in for burial. It's not normal," the source said.
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At the new cemetery, a worker told our reporter that last month alone, they buried an average of 18 bodies every day, most of them brought from the state metropolis.
