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Yellow fever in Nigeria

17 Jan 2025

According the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) there were a total of 2,641 suspected cases (including 3 deaths) of yellow fever in the country between 1 January 2024 to 30 November 2024.

The following Nigerian states reported cases (number of cases are in brackets):

  • Abia (57)
  • Adamawa (52)
  • Akwa Ibom (40)
  • Anambra (213)
  • Bauchi (113)
  • Bayelsa (74)
  • Benue (76)
  • Borno (142)
  • Cross River (36)
  • Delta (35)
  • Ebonyi (21)
  • Edo (59)
  • Ekiti (107)
  • Enugu (112)
  • Federal Capital Territory (9)
  • Gombe (48)
  • Imo (65)
  • Jigawa (148)
  • Kaduna (40)
  • Kano (14)
  • Katsina (223)
  • Kebbi (77)
  • Kogi (70)
  • Kwara (87)
  • Lagos (24)
  • Nasarawa (51)
  • Niger (41)
  • Ogun (83)
  • Ondo (78)
  • Osun (52)
  • Oyo (66)
  • Plateau (96)
  • Rivers (36)
  • Sokoto (39)
  • Taraba (77)
  • Yobe (33)
  • Zamfara (47).

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes that bite diring the day. It is found in tropical areas of Africa and Central and South America. 

The most common symptoms are fever, muscle pain with prominent obvious backache, headache, loss of appetite, and feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting). A small proportion of people that become infected with yellow fever can become severely unwell and may die.

Advice to travellers

If you are visiting an area where yellow fever is present you should:

A yellow fever vaccine is available to protect you against yellow fever. Vaccination is recommended if you are visiting areas where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission. The vaccine is only available at designated yellow fever centres.

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving in Nigeria from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Detailed guidance on the disease and the vaccine can be found on the fitfortravel Yellow Fever advice page.