Capacity of Rapid Response Teams to Manage Arboviral Outbreaks in Taraba State

Rapid response teams (RRTs) are the first-line operational response mechanism for infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria, including arboviral outbreaks such as yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya. In Taraba State, North East Nigeria, the capacity of RRTs to effectively manage arboviral events remains unassessed. This study evaluates the functional capacity of RRTs at state and local government levels in Taraba State for arboviral outbreak management. A mixed-methods assessment will survey 60 RRT members including epidemiologists, medical officers, laboratory scientists, and environmental health officers across six local government areas with prior arboviral outbreak exposure. The assessment tool will evaluate arboviral case definition knowledge, personal protective equipment competency, specimen collection proficiency, vector control operational skills, and community risk communication ability. Outbreak response timelines and intervention records from the 2022 yellow fever alert and 2023 dengue suspected cluster in Taraba State will be reviewed. Post-event evaluations from comparable North East RRTs indicate significant gaps in laboratory-linked response and entomological investigation capacity. Findings will generate an RRT arboviral capacity profile for Taraba State and recommend targeted simulation exercises, supplemental training modules, and equipment prepositioning strategies to strengthen arboviral rapid response capacity. Keywords: rapid response team, arboviral outbreak, Taraba State, yellow fever, dengue