Weekly Epidemiological Report

February 2020 Week 7

Editoral

Nigeria records first case of COVID 19: NCDC activates Emergency Operations Centre

Posted: 02-03-2020 04:05:40 PM

On the 28th of February 2020, the Federal Ministry of Health announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. This makes Nigeria the 3rd country in Africa with an imported case of the disease asides Egypt and Algeria.

Prior to COVID-19 in Nigeria, the multi-sectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group had the responsibility of reviewing the situation globally, assess the risk of spread and improve on Nigeria’s level of preparedness based on new findings and insights. On the 28th of February 2020, the group was escalated to the national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for coordinating COVID-19 response activities. The EOC has developed an incident action plan which is being implemented across the following pillars:

1. Coordination: The Federal Ministry of Health through the NCDC has activated a national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the highest level. This multi-sectoral EOC is leading the national response for COVID-19. Till date, the NCDC has supported 23 states to set up Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC). These will be used for coordination at state level.

2. Epidemiology and Surveillance: The Federal Ministry of Health has also intensified surveillance at points of entry (Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and FCT). A second case definition has been shared with Port Health Officials and State epidemiologists for determining a suspect case of the disease. NCDC digital tool for surveillance, SORMAS, is being used to manage contact tracing and related activities to quickly control the spread of the disease.

3. Laboratory: Currently, there are four laboratories with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in Nigeria. The NCDC National Reference Laboratory; Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Irrua Teaching Hospital; and African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases in Ede, Osun State. They are all in the NCDC molecular laboratory network. These laboratories are sufficiently equipped with reagents and supplies for testing.

4. Infection Prevention and Control: IPC guidelines and SOPs have been disseminated to treatment centres, health facilities, and health workers across the country.

5. Case management: There are designated treatment centres to manage laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and FCT. The team of healthcare workers in these centres have been trained on the management of COVID-19 using approved SOPs and guidelines.

6. Risk communication: Communications has intensified on protective measures against COVID-19. Based on new knowledge on the disease, the 4th public health advisory, updated FAQs, a second case definition and other IEC materials have been published and widely disseminated.

7. Logistics: Pooling and mobilisation of resources particularly response commodities e.g. personal protective equipment, medical and laboratory consumables, thermometers, hand sanitizers, etc.to the affected states has commenced.

All identified contacts of the case are being monitored. The public is advised to remain calm, practice personal and respiratory hygiene measures to protect themselves. For more information on the prevention of COVID-19, you can access the NCDC coronavirus public health advisory here


Summary of Incidents

Notes

1. Information for this disease was retrieved from the Technical Working Group and Situation Reports

2. Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for this disease is reported for confirmed cases only

3. Information for this disease was retrieved from IDSR 002 data

4. CFR for this disease is reported for total cases i.e. suspected + confirmed

5. Information for sentinel influenza was retrieved from the laboratory


Lassa Fever

Key points

• There were 471 suspected cases, 115 confirmed cases and 18 deaths recorded from 41 LGAs in 16 states

• Two new Health Care Workers were affected in Bauchi and Katsina states in the reporting week.

Actions

To date:

• National Lassa fever (LF) multi-partner, multi-sectoral EOC continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels

• Scale up of risk communication activities across Nigeria

• Establishment of LF Laboratory at the Federal Medical Centre Owo

Planned:

• Support states to develop and implement LF response sustainability plan

• Operationalisation of LGA sanitation desks by Environmental Health Officers in all states

• Implementation of regular sanitation exercise in all states


Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)

Key points

• There were 15 suspected cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) reported from 11 LGAs in six states and FCT (Bauchi – 1, Delta – 2, Ebonyi – 1, Enugu – 1, FCT – 1, Katsina – 8 & Sokoto – 1). None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National CSM TWG meets weekly to review reports from states and plan appropriately

• Enhanced surveillance in all states

Planned:

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data

• Continue to ensure that states reporting cases send their line lists and collect CSM samples


Yellow Fever

Key points

• There were 42 suspected cases of Yellow fever (YF) reported from 37 LGAs in 20 states. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National Multiagency YF Technical Working Group (TWG) is coordinating response activities

Planned:

• Continue to harmonise surveillance and laboratory data


Cholera

Key points

• There was no suspected case of cholera reported this week

Actions

To date

• National Cholera Multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) is monitoring all states

• Finalise the development of the 2020 cholera preparedness and response plan

Planned:

• Ensure that reporting states conduct rapid diagnostic test/culture test and send line list of all reported cases to the national level

• Continue follow up and monitoring of non-reporting states

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data


Measles

Key points

• There were 779 suspected cases of measles reported from 183 LGAs in 29 states and FCT. There was one laboratory confirmed case and one death was recorded

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Actions

To date

• National Measles Technical Working Group (TWG) is closely monitoring surveillance data and response activities across the country

• Conducted measles Dynamic Risk Assessment

• Advisory letters shared with Honorable Commissioners of states with high measles burden (Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Adamawa and Yobe states) to activate state EOCs, intensify routine immunsatioin and intensify risk communication activities

Planned:

• Continue the review of measles surveillance data across the country

• Analyse dynamic risk assessment conducted to guide next line of action

• Follow up with states to update and transmit line list to NCDC


Monkeypox

Key points

• There were two suspected cases of monkeypox reported from two LGAs in Lagos state & FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

• National Monkeypox Technical Working Group (TWG) is monitoring activities in all states

Planned:

• Enhance surveillance for monkeypox in high burden states, working with the animal health colleagues


Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)

Key points

• There were 104 suspected cases of AFP reported from 88 LGAs in 31 states and FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded


National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance

Key points

• The subtypes A seasonal H3, 2009A/H1N1 and A/not subtyped account for 0(0.0%), 0(0.0%) and 2(100%) of the total influenza A positive sample respectively. The subtypes B VICTORIA, B Not subtyped and B Yamagata account for 0(0.0%), 5(100%) and 0(0.0%) of the total influenza B positive samples respectively

• The percentage influenza positive was highest in week 5 with 20%.


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

Highlight of the week

  • Summary of Incidents
  • Lassa Fever
  • Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)
  • Yellow Fever
  • Cholera
  • Measles
  • Monkeypox
  • Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)
  • National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

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