Outbreak of measles in Sokoto State North-Western Nigeria, three months after a supplementary immunization campaign
Baffa Sule Ibrahim, Godwin Jiya Gana, Yahaya Mohammed, Ummulkhulthum Abubakar Bajoga, Abdullahi Shehu Umar, Abayomi Akintunde Olufemi, Bolatito Halimatu Ayanleke, Aisha Ahmed Abubakar, Saheed Oluwatoyin Gidado, Patrick M Nguku
Abstract
Background
Worldwide, measles infects about 20 million people with about 200,000 deaths annually. On February 12, 2016 an outbreak of measles was reported from Sokoto state, Nigeria.
Aims
A team of Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (NFELTP) Residents was sent to confirm the existence of the outbreak, describe the socio-demographic characteristics and identify risk factors for the outbreak.
Methods
We defined cases according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. We conducted an unmatched case-control study and descriptive study. We actively searched for cases across local government areas (LGAs) of the state, and administered questionnaires to parents of affected children. We analyzed the data using Epi-Info 7 and Microsoft Excel 2013.
Results
A total of 979 cases were recorded. Median age was 36 months with age range of 3–168 months. Ten deaths were recorded with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 1.02 per cent. About 76.51 per cent of cases were under-five years of age. The outbreak spanned over a period of 10 weeks. Twenty-two out of 23 LGAs were affected. Eighty-nine cases (9.1 per cent) had their blood sample taken for laboratory confirmation, where 21 (23.6 per cent) tested positive for measles.
A total of 238 respondents were interviewed; 128 cases and 110 controls. Mothers’ education (OR: 2.9, 95 per cent CI: 1.4–5.9), immunization status of children (OR: 2.0, 95 per cent CI: 1.1–3.4), and fathers’ occupation (OR: 0.2, 95 per cent CI: 0.1–0.5), are the factors that affect measles infection among children in the state.
Conclusion
Our investigation confirmed a measles outbreak in Sokoto state. Though with a low CFR, the majority of deaths occur in children are factors that adversely affect development of measles in Sokoto state.
Full Text:
Worldwide, measles infects about 20 million people with about 200,000 deaths annually. On February 12, 2016 an outbreak of measles was reported from Sokoto state, Nigeria.
Aims
A team of Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (NFELTP) Residents was sent to confirm the existence of the outbreak, describe the socio-demographic characteristics and identify risk factors for the outbreak.
Methods
We defined cases according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. We conducted an unmatched case-control study and descriptive study. We actively searched for cases across local government areas (LGAs) of the state, and administered questionnaires to parents of affected children. We analyzed the data using Epi-Info 7 and Microsoft Excel 2013.
Results
A total of 979 cases were recorded. Median age was 36 months with age range of 3–168 months. Ten deaths were recorded with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 1.02 per cent. About 76.51 per cent of cases were under-five years of age. The outbreak spanned over a period of 10 weeks. Twenty-two out of 23 LGAs were affected. Eighty-nine cases (9.1 per cent) had their blood sample taken for laboratory confirmation, where 21 (23.6 per cent) tested positive for measles.
A total of 238 respondents were interviewed; 128 cases and 110 controls. Mothers’ education (OR: 2.9, 95 per cent CI: 1.4–5.9), immunization status of children (OR: 2.0, 95 per cent CI: 1.1–3.4), and fathers’ occupation (OR: 0.2, 95 per cent CI: 0.1–0.5), are the factors that affect measles infection among children in the state.
Conclusion
Our investigation confirmed a measles outbreak in Sokoto state. Though with a low CFR, the majority of deaths occur in children are factors that adversely affect development of measles in Sokoto state.
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