The Yobe State Government, yesterday, confirmed 906 fresh cases of cholera, with 61 deaths and 50 others still on admission in hospitals across the state.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Kawuwa, who made the disclosure in a statement in Damaturu, said Acute Water Diarrhea (AWD) cases were reported in some parts of the state and later confirmed to be cholera after laboratory tests, noting that some of the AWD cases were caused by Vibrio bacteria, which cause cholera.
Kawuwa explained that 906 cases were recorded in six councils of the state- Gujba, Gulani, Damaturu, Fune, Potiskum and Nangere in two months, adding: “Over 795 patients were successfully treated and discharged, 50 are still on admission in various health facilities across the state.
“Unfortunately, we lost 61 patients, mainly due to delays in timely reporting to the healthcare facilities for life saving treatment.”
The commissioner said his ministry, the World Health Organisation (WHO), University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja were authenticating the causes of the outbreak.
“In the light of this and due to our continued concern for the health of our people, the state government is, therefore, declaring outbreak cholera in the state,” he announced, saying this was necessary to scale up response with the support of the international partners.
He identified personal hygiene, absence of sanitation facilities in the communities and flooding of water sources by the rains as possible causes of the outbreak and called on water, sanitation and health sector partners, religious and traditional leaders and the people to cooperate and support government’s efforts in containing the outbreak and the check spread.
The government had three months ago declared over, an earlier cholera outbreak in Bade, Karasuwa, Jakusko, Yusufari and Bursari councils after 21 days without a report of any new case.
Kawuwa said the initial outbreak recorded 16 deaths in 404 cases, with Bade council having 379 cases; Karasuwa, 16; Jakusko, four, Yusufari, three and Bursari, two.
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