Cholera outbreak in 30 States kills 30, says Centre for Disease Control
Olaolu Bilau, Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has alerted Nigerians to the increasing outbreak of cholera cases across the country.
The warning was contained in a public health advisory issued by the Centre on Wednesday and signed by its Director General, Dr Jide Idris.
According to the NCDC, between January and June of this year, 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases have been recorded.
Thirty (30) people have also been killed by the outbreak across 96 LGAs in 30 States of the Federation.
Cholera is an illness caused by an organism present in polluted water and food through which it is spread. Usually, the excrement of diseased people pollutes water. Drinking water can get contaminated at the source, on the way, or when stored at home.
Dirty hands can also contaminate food as it is being prepared or consumed just as there are other means of transmitting the disease.
According to NCDC records, 90% of the cholera cases were reported in 10 states: Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos State, which recently reported an outbreak.
The organisation, however, assured the public that as the leader of the National Cholera Technical Working Group, it is working with other agencies, including the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners to support to the affected states.
According to the Centre, “This support includes risk communication, active case search, laboratory diagnosis, case management, provision of response commodities, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and dissemination of Cholera awareness jingles in both English and local languages.”
The advisory alerts the public to cholera symptoms, including “acute profuse, painless watery diarrhoea (rice water stools) of sudden onset, with or without vomiting.
“It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting and fever.
“Severe cases can lead to death within hours due to dehydration (massive body fluid loss), NCDC warned.
The NCDC advised the public to maintain proper hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and clean running water. It also urged them not to engage in open defecation and careless waste disposal.
Anyone who unexpectedly starts to have watery diarrhoea is advised to seek immediate medical attention.
