NCDC recorded 4,153 Cholera cases, 80 deaths in September

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it recorded 4,153 cholera cases between September 5 and October 2, 2022.

The NCDC said this through its official website on Wednesday, stating that 80 persons died from cholera across the country in September.

The agency also disclosed that since the beginning of 2022, 256 people from 31 states have died from cholera.

“Thirty-one states have reported suspected cholera cases in 2022. These are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

“In the reporting month (September 5 to October 2, 2022), nine states reported 4,153 suspected cases – Borno (2,626), Yobe (718), Gombe (317), Zamfara (212), Bauchi (119), Jigawa (95), Sokoto (47), Katsina (16) and Adamawa (three).

It said: “As of October 2, 2022, a total of 10,745 suspected cases, including 256 deaths (CFR 2.4 per cent), have been reported from 31 states.

“Of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, the age group, five to 14 years, is the most affected for males and females.

“Of all suspected cases, 48 per cent are males and 52 per cent are females.

“There was a 42 per cent increase in the number of new suspected cases in September – Epi Week 36 – 39 (4,153) – compared with August Epi Week 31 – 35 (2,428).

“In the reporting week, Borno (883), Gombe (97), Bauchi (15) Yobe (eight) and Sokoto (three) reported 1,006 suspected cases. Borno and Gombe states accounted for 97 per cent of 1,006 suspected cases reported in Week 39,” it explained.

The NCDC said that the National multi-sectoral Cholera’s Technical Working Group continues to monitor response across states’ Cumulative Epi-Summary.

It is said that cholera is an acute illness caused by infection of the intestine with vibrio cholerae bacteria.

According to it, people can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria.

The agency said that the infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

“About one in 10 people with cholera will experience severe symptoms, which, in the early stages, include: profuse watery diarrhoea, sometimes described as ‘rice-water stools, vomiting, thirst, leg cramps and restlessness or irritability,” it said.

The NCDC said that healthcare providers should look for signs of dehydration when examining a patient with profuse watery diarrhoea.

These include rapid heart rate, loss of skin elasticity, dry mucous membranes and low blood pressure.

It added that people with severe cholera can develop severe dehydration, which can lead to kidney failure.

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