Cholera: Delta in Nigeria records 146 cases, seven deaths

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A total of 146 cases of cholera with seven deaths have been recorded in Delta state even though the majority of the victims were young children.

Of the figure, 138 cases were recorded in Warri south west, one in Oshimili south and seven cases in Bomadi council areas in three outbreaks which occurred in February, March and June 2024 .

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme who briefed the press on the development in Asaba on Tuesday named eight local governments that are of high risk to include Warri South, Warri South-West, Warri North, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Patani, Bomadi and Burutu.

Flanked by the State Commissioner for Information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, Dr Onojaeme, said the seven casualties were recorded during the first epidemic that occurred in Warri south west adding that none was recorded in Oshimili south and Bomadi which were the second and third epidemics respectively.

According to the commissioner “So far, the Ministry has curtailed the disease within the high risk local government areas and the Epidemiology unit of the Ministry is doing a lot of surveillance on these patients and its fully under control.

“We have been able to curtail the disease in Delta State and the disease surveillance and notification officers across the state have been able to carry out a lot of advocacy to our people to educate them about the cause of the disease.

“Cholera is mainly a disease of poor sanitary environment and we have educated them about simple hand washing and not taking unclean water. We have also provided tablets to purify some of these unclean waters.

“So far so good, since about six weeks now in Warri South-West where it started from, we had only 20 suspected cases and majority of the cases we noticed we have treated and its basically under control.

“We are doing a lot of advocacies and the risk factors are basically poor sanitary condition and reduced stomach acid. Cholera has an incubation period of 12 days and within this period somebody not showing these symptoms can spread it through phaeces and urine to other persons.

“Staying with somebody with the bacteria is a big risk factor to contact the bacteria from that person so maintaining hygiene is very key to eliminating Cholera from our environment and it is common among villages along the water bank.