Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
At least 10 persons have died in fresh outbreak of cholera in Ebonyi State, South-East of Nigeria.
The deaths were recorded in Ndibokote village in Ezza-Inyimagu, Agbaja Autonomous Community, Izzi Local Government Area of the state.
Commissioner for Health in the state Moses Ekuma, confirmed the outbreak and the death in an interview with Ikengaonline on Thursday.
Mr Ekuma, a Medical Doctor, also revealed that over 20 other persons from the area have been hospitalised for suspected cholera infection.
He said infected persons were rushed to three hospitals in the area by the state government in collaboration with the local government and health partners.
The hospitals where the patients are receiving treatment include: Sudan United Mission Hospital, Onuenyim Agbaja; Sudan United Mission Hospital Izziogo and Izziogo Health Centre.
The Commissioner blamed the outbreak on poor hygienic practices by the people.
He urged them to adopt gold hygienic practices such as stoppage of open defecation, washing their hands regularly, covering their food and drinking clean water.
Mr Ekuma urged the people to report to the nearest hospital once they start having symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration.
He said the Ministry got the information on Wednesday morning and quickly scrambled a team of medical professionals in conjunction with World Health Organisation and UNICEF to the area.
“We have enough drugs to threat infected persons. We also plan to open another health centre in the affected community for easy access so as to curtail the outbreak and we have made available cars and motorcycles for easy evacuation of suspected infected persons to the hospitals,” he said.
Chairman of the council, Stephen Nwankpa, thanked the state government for swift response which he noted saved lives of many infected persons.
A member of the community, Stephen Nwankpuma, linked the death to the burial of a woman in the community last weekend.
He said: There was a burial there last week and also there were others who went and ate dog killed in the area. People who went to the burial and those who ate the dog were the main people who first got sick.
“Those who went to the burial ate a cow that was killed and prepared in a very dirty environment. Their community is located in the remotest part of the state. In fact, it shares boundary with Benue State.
“There is no good source of water in the area. The only borehole in the area is no longer functional. The only source of water there now is a pond or stream and it is very dirty.
“The situation is worsened by the heavy rain falling this period which flowed into the stream carrying all the wastes with it and probably contaminating the pond,” he said.
Cholera an acute bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration has been ravaging Ebonyi State for decades.
