The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday announced that a total of 479 people have been killed in the current wave of the outbreak of Cholera in the country.
The NCDC said in its latest situation report that since the beginning of this year, a total of 19,305 suspected cases have been recorded and that the disease has spread to 18 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The States were listed as Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, and Kaduna.
Others are Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara and the FCT.
The report states that “as at July 11, 2021, a total of 19,305 suspected cases including 479 deaths (CFR 2.5%) have been reported from 18 states and FCT since the beginning of 2021.
“Of the reported cases since the beginning of the year, 11.0% are aged 5 – 14 years. Of all suspected cases, 52% are males and 48% are females.”
The report said there has been an increase in the number of new cases in Bauchi, Kano Jigawa and Kwara.
According to the report, Cholera killed 31 people between July 5 and July 11, 2021.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoea disease caused by a bacteria called vibrio cholera. It is a potentially life-threatening, and primarily a water-borne disease.
Symptoms of the disease include nausea and vomiting , dehydration which can lead to shock, kidney injury and sudden death , passage of profuse pale and milky, watery stool (rice water coloured), and body weakness.