An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in two schools in Akpabuyo local government areas of Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
The affected schools are Navy Secondary School and Penniel Primary School.
Dr. Henry Ayuk, the state commissioner for health, disclosed the outbreak and mentioned that the State Rapid Response Team had been deployed to the affected area.
The commissioner said reactive vaccination for children is ongoing in the affected areas and other local government areas without reported cases.
“The State Primary Healthcare Development Agency is intensifying routine immunization to enhance herd immunity.
“Measles is a highly contagious infection, especially among non-immunized children. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to respond positively to routine immunization campaigns for their children,” the commissioner said.
Due to the outbreak, the management of the Nigeria Navy School has closed down the school and directed parents to pick up their children from the boarding facility immediately.
Parents received a message from the school informing them of the closure and the need to collect their children.
Okon Bassey, the chairman of the Parents Teachers Association in the school, confirmed the closure message but mentioned that he had yet to get through to the school management for further details.
He expressed trust in the school management’s decision, emphasizing that he had yet to ascertain the actual situation necessitating the closure. Measles is a highly contagious infection, especially among non-immunized children.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects children. It spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can survive in the air and on surfaces for several hours, making it easily transmissible.
Symptoms typically include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a characteristic rash that spreads all over the body. Measles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis (brain inflammation), and death, particularly in malnourished children or those with weakened immune systems.
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