8 die in fresh cholera outbreak in Nigeria

Eight persons have died while 17 others have been hospitalised following a fresh cholera outbreak in Ebonyi State.

Three of the deaths were recorded in Ndiogbu Ndieze village, Izzi Local Government Area of the state while the remaining five died in Ikwo Local Government Area.

The Director of Public Health and Disease Control in the State, Christian Achi, confirmed the deaths in Ikwo community in Ikwo Council.

The State Epidemiologist, Francis Onwe, a medical doctor, and other officials of the state Ministry of Health were forced to visit the affected areas following the outbreak and distributed drugs.

During the visit, Mr. Onwe advised the residents to ensure personal and environmental hygiene to avoid contracting the disease.

He further advised them to ensure they bury any victim immediately such person dies to avoid spreading the epidemic.

He also warned them to desist from drinking stream and contaminated water which he explained are sources of contracting the disease.

An indigene of Ndiogbu Ndieze village, Austin Edeze, whose younger brother was among those that died, said people who attended burial of a resident of the area came back and started vomiting and defecating uncontrollably.

‘’Nobody suspected that cholera was responsible for the frequent vomiting and defecation by the people that attended the burial ceremony,” he said.

‘’So before we could notice it is cholera; we took him to the hospital and he died early in the morning.

‘’We raised alarm to the Ministry of Health and the officials advised that we should quickly bury him to avoid the disease spreading to other people around which we obeyed and buried him immediately.

Mr. Edeze also said the permanent secretary of the ministry sent a team to enlighten the villagers on the prevention of the disease and donated some drugs after the lecture.