The health authorities in Warrap State on Monday said they have declared a measles outbreak in Tonj East County.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the Warrap State health minister and information minister confirmed that the declaration came after five samples sent to Juba for laboratory testing were found positive last week.
According to Solomon Bol Mabior, the state health minister, 88 cases have been officially confirmed.
“Yes, there is an outbreak of measles in Tonj East where 88 cases were confirmed. There was a first measles case and we sent five samples to Juba and they were tested and they were found positive,” he said. “We already have vaccines and vaccination is ongoing and we also notified our partners to come in and help in controlling the situation.”
Minister Bol pointed out that his ministry has dispatched a team to collect more information on the matter and urged the national health ministry to intervene.
“We already notified all our partners plus the National Ministry of Health so that they come in and help us with this crisis we are facing now,” he said.
The minister urged the public to isolate those already infected to easily help in controlling the spread of the outbreak.
For his part, the State Information Minister William Wol Mayom also confirmed the outbreak.
“It is true and the state authority under the ministry of health in Warrap State has collected 88 cases of measles and there were few among the 88 that were sent to Juba and the samples were found positive. Therefore, the Ministry of Health declared a measles outbreak in Warrap State, particularly in Tonj East County,” he said. “The state minister of health also directed the county health department to carry out measles vaccinations across the county and soon the state government will also launch the campaigns for vaccination of measles across the state.”
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, marked by fever, cough, and red spots on the skin and is spread by coughing and contact with fluids from the mouth and nose of the infected.
It remains a cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).