Breaking: Lagos records 6 deaths from cholera outbreak

Dr. Jide Idris, Lagos State Health Commissioner

Lagos State Government says it has recorded six deaths from cholera outbreak out of 45 cases in some communities in Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Dr Jide Idris, the State Commissioner for Health, who made the disclosure on Thursday at a news conference in Lagos, however, was not specific about the timing of the incident.

Idris said that state government was already taking appropriate measures and had contained the outbreak.

According to him, the ministry was notified of an upsurge of diarrhoea diseases in some communities in Isolo LCDA.

“Following this, 45 cases were line-listed by the Epidemiology Unit of the ministry.

“Six deaths were recorded among the 45 cases.

“Majority of the cases did not present with the classical rice-water stool, rather they presented with atypical diarrhoea and vomiting.

“Ano-rectal swabs were collected from 15 cases and taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Yaba.

“Initially, there were no growths; however, continuous culture yielded Vibro cholera from seven out of the 15 samples,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that the “Vibrio cholera was later confirmed to be Ogawa strain”.

He said, “The main suspected source of infection is the salad called `Abacha’, a staple food of the residents of Isolo LCDA and adjourning LGAs/LCDAs.

“Some domestic wells within the communities are also suspected.

“Samples of the ‘Abacha salad’ and well water were collected and sent to the Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory for analysis.

“The report of the analysis revealed the presence of Vibrio cholera, Salmonella species and E.coli in `Abacha’ and one of the two well water samples.”

NAN reports that Cholera “is an acute diarrhoea disease with or without vomiting caused by a bacteria referred to as Vibro cholera, and it is transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with infective faeces.

“Food or water contamination is usually due to poor sanitation and the source of contamination is usually other cholera cases when their infective watery stool gets into food or drinking water supplies.

“Prevention of cholera can be achieved through basic water sanitation, such as boiling water of unclean sources. Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated.”