Attachments
CONTACT TRACING: A CRITICAL ACTIVITY FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE
In Epi-week 14, Nigeria continued to record a decline in the number of new confirmed cases of Lassa fever. However, contact tracing remains an important aspect of the outbreak response activities, ensuring no case is missed.
Contact tracing is a critical aspect of surveillance activities for Lassa fever. Contacts are categorised based on the level of contact with infected patients and/or their body fluids. This is seen in the table below:
Category of Contact::
No Risk Contact
(Category 1)
Level of Exposure:
-
No direct contact with the patient or body fluids.
-
Casual contact, e.g. sharing a room with the patient, without direct contact with body fluids or other potentially infectious material.
-
Handling of laboratory specimens under contained conditions
Follow up:
Category of Contact:
Low-Risk Contact
(Category 2)
Level of Exposure:
Direct contact with the patient, e.g. routine medical/nursing care, OR
-
Handling body fluids wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, OR
-
Breach of laboratory containment without direct contact with a specimen
Follow up:
- Monitoring of body temperature and symptoms
Category of Contact:
High risk Contact
(Category 3)
Level of Exposure:
Unprotected exposure of skin or mucous membranes to potentially infectious blood or body fluids, including clothing and bedding.
- This includes: unprotected handling of clinical/laboratory specimens; mucosal exposure to splashes; needle-stick injury and kissing and/or sexual contact.
Follow up:
-
Monitoring of body temperature and symptoms
-
Prophylaxis initiated
Contact tracing teams are set up and mobilised to monitor identified contacts with a view to promptly identify symptomatic contacts and ensuring prompt laboratory diagnosis and treatment and/or referral. This is a very important responsibility for every State Government.
As the outbreak declines, it is important to contact tracing activities do not wane. For more information on contact tracing, kindly review the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers guidelines available on the NCDC website: www.ncdc.gov.ng.
SUMMARY OF REPORTS
In the reporting week ending on April 1, 2018:
-
There were 145 new cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) reported. None was confirmed as Polio. The last reported case of Polio in Nigeria was in August 2016. Active case search for AFP is being intensified as Nigeria has reinvigorated its efforts at eradicating Polio.
-
337 suspected cases of Cholera were reported from eight LGAs in seven States (Abia – 19, Bauchi – 181, Borno – 11, Gombe – 2, Kaduna – 3, Kano – 15 & Yobe – 106). Of these, 19 were laboratory confirmed and eight deaths were recorded.
-
19 suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported from ten LGAs in eight States (Bauchi – 2, Ekiti – 1, Gombe – 1, Kogi – 2, Ondo – 8, Osun – 1, Plateau – 3 & Taraba - 1). Two were laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded.
-
There were 255 suspected cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) reported from 73 LGAs in 15 States (Adamawa – 1, Bauchi – 3, Borno – 3, Cross River – 2, FCT – 2, Gombe – 1, Jigawa – 13, Kaduna – 2, Kano – 35, Katsina - 115, Kebbi – 5, Plateau – 1, Sokoto – 31, Yobe - 2 & Zamfara - 39). Of these, three were laboratory confirmed and 21 deaths were recorded. Ongoing surveillance for CSM has been intensified in all the 26 States in the Nigeria meningitis belt and case-based surveillance commenced from 4th December 2017
-
There were 542 suspected cases of Measles reported from 36 States. Three were laboratory confirmed and three deaths were recorded.
In the reporting week, all States sent in their report except Ebonyi State. Timeliness of reporting increases from 87% to 88% in previous & current weeks (week 12 & 13, 2018) while completeness remains from 100% at the same period. It is very important for all States to ensure timely and complete reporting at all times, especially during an outbreak.