Zika virus: Nigeria puts 36 states on alert-Flatimes

Wednesday, 3 February 2016

Zika virus: Nigeria puts 36 states on alert


The Federal Government has put all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on a red alert following the declaration of Zika virus as an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation, WHO.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the Director General of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof Abdulsalam Nasidi said the red alert was to enable effective monitoring of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus, are found in Nigeria and Nasidi explained that the decision taken by the government is in line with global practice.