Cholera outbreak: Ebonyi records 10 death

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, has confirmed a cholera outbreak that has claimed ten lives.

He revealed that the deaths occurred in Ndibokote village, Ezza-Inyimagu, Agbaja Autonomous Community, in the Izzi Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking to our reporter in an interview on Thursday, Dr. Ekuma also disclosed that over 20 other individuals from the affected area have been hospitalized with suspected cholera infections.

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The infected individuals were rushed to three hospitals in the area, with the support of the state government, local authorities, and health partners.

The hospitals include Sudan United Mission Hospital, Onuenyim Agbaja; Sudan United Mission Hospital, Izziogo; and Izziogo Health Centre.

The Commissioner attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene practices in the community and urged residents to adopt better sanitation measures, such as avoiding open defecation, regular handwashing, covering their food, and drinking clean water.

He advised residents to report to the nearest hospital immediately if they experience symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration.

Dr. Ekuma added that the Ministry received information about the outbreak on Wednesday morning and promptly dispatched a team of medical professionals, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) 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. Infact 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.