Dust has not yet settled even though cholera outbreak is over in Yobe state
The government of Yobe state in northern Nigeria has announced the end of the cholera outbreak that has ravished the state since March 2018.
According to the state government, the cholera outbreak has ended across the state. During the outbreak, a total of 404 cases were reported in 5 local government areas. The outbreak also claimed a total of 16 deaths.
The outbreak was first reported in Gashua town, Bade Local Government Areaon March 28, 2018. According to the government, the outbreak’s case fatality ratio was 3.7%.
In his remark, Dr. Bello Muhammad Kawuwa, Yobe state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, said the announcement of the end of the outbreak was made since no new case was reported in the last 21 days.
“The state Ministry of Health got information that some 33 persons had symptoms suspected to be cholera with five associated deaths,” he said.
Recounting the response strategy, the commissioner said the LGA Rapid Response Team responded immediately and thereafter, an already prepared Ministry of Health activated the state Rapid Response Team that were deployed to support the LGA in response efforts.
‘People are yet to understand personal hygiene’
While the outbreak is over in Yobe, experts said the worst days are not yet over only personal hygiene is ensured nationwide.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said it is shameful that Nigeria is experiencing cholera in the twenty-first century because people are yet to understand personal hygiene.
Cholera has been strongly associated with poor hygiene and the disease is acquired when individuals ingest contaminated substances including water and food.
It is spread when an infected individual defecates inside waterbody that serves more people. With this cycle, the disease is more severe in areas where human waste is untreated.
UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, specialist, Drissa Yeo, said that lack of safe water and poor sanitation are important risk factors.
Vanguard reported Yeo said for a cholera outbreak to occur, there must be significant breaches in the water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure used by groups of people, permitting large-scale exposure to food or water to Vibrio cholera organisms; and cholera must be present in the population.
“Cholera is life- threatening. If you get contaminated with cholera bacteria and you do not receive appropriate treatment within 24 – 48 hours, you can pass on. Dysentery can give you some time to take care of yourself but not cholera,” he said.