Apollo cases confirmed in Yobe as eye infection spreads

The Yobe State Specialist Hospital, Potiskum, has confirmed cases of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, popularly known as Apollo, amid growing concerns over the spread of the infection in the town.

The hospital said it had recorded several cases but noted that the actual number of infections could be higher because some residents may be treating themselves at home without seeking medical attention.

The Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Abubakar Sadiq Zakari, who represented the Medical Director, urged residents to maintain proper personal and environmental hygiene to prevent further transmission.

He advised residents to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching their eyes and refrain from sharing towels, clothes, bedding, utensils and other personal items.

Zakari also advised infected persons to minimise close contact with others and seek medical attention when symptoms develop.

The state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Muhammad Lawan Gana, said the ministry had activated measures to contain the infection.

According to him, health education messages had been developed and distributed through stakeholders and social media platforms, while Health Promotion Officers had been directed to sensitise communities through Village Community Mobilisers.

Residents in different parts of Potiskum have reported increasing cases of red and swollen eyes, itching, pain and excessive tearing.

Some residents also said multiple members of the same households had developed the infection, raising concerns about its rapid spread.

A resident, Haladu Badejo, described the situation as alarming, while another resident, Idris Bello Danchuawa, said the infection was continuing to spread across the town.

A patient, Abubakar Suleiman, said the outbreak had become a major concern, claiming that it was difficult to visit several homes without finding someone affected.

Another resident, Kasim Muhammad Isah, said many people had started wearing glasses in an attempt to protect themselves and called for urgent government intervention.

Alhaji Abdurrahman Santurankin Yandiski also urged the authorities to intensify public awareness campaigns and provide residents with clear guidance on prevention and treatment.

Meanwhile, the Yobe State Primary Health Care Board advised residents to wash their hands frequently with soap and clean water and avoid touching their eyes or sharing towels, handkerchiefs, eye drops and eyeglasses.

The board warned residents against putting substances such as urine, breast milk, sugar solution, cow dung or battery liquid into infected eyes, stressing that such practices could cause permanent eye damage or blindness.

A medical doctor, Dr Maryam Ahmed Mustapha, described Apollo as highly contagious and said it could spread through close contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces.

She also dismissed the belief that looking into the eyes of an infected person could transmit the infection, urging residents instead to observe proper hand hygiene and seek medical attention when symptoms appear.