Cholera Outbreak Kills 20 In Ebonyi

9 years ago

Cholera Outbreak Kills 20 In Ebonyi

The Director, Public Health and Disease Control, in the Ministry of Health, Ebonyi State, Dr Chris Achi, yesterday confirmed the death of 20 persons in seven Local Government Areas of the State following an outbreak of cholera in the state.

Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, Dr. Achi said that the Local Government Areas, where the outbreak is ravaging the communities include, Ohaukwu, Izzi, Ezza North, Ishielu, Ebonyi, Abakaliki and Ohaozara local government areas of the State.

According to Dr. Achi, ten students of Ebonyi State University were affected by the outbreak, adding that out of the ten affected, one person has been confirmed dead while the nine others were rushed to the hospital. They were treated by medical experts and have been discharged.

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The Medical Practitioner further stated that apart from the University undergraduates who were affected by the outbreak, 15 students of the Girls High School, Azuinyiokwu, were also affected and were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, where they were treated and discharged.

He stated that students of 12 Apostle School, Sharon and Annunciation
School, Saint Patricks Church, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki were also affected, adding that those who died as a result of the outbreak were those who resorted to self-medication.

The Former Health Commissioner stated that those who died in the hospital were those who had renal breakdown and their case confirmed critical. |He encouraged residents of the State to desist from defecating indiscriminately around their environment and waterways.

Dr. Achi said that since February this year, when the first case was recorded, there has been a sporadic outbreak of the disease in the State and regretted that ponds, where citizens of the state, including animals, access drinking water is in very poor condition.

He said that the State Government is doing enough in combating the disease and urged the citizens to assist the State government by reporting such cases rather than resorting to self-medication.

According to him; “some of the community members have boreholes and when some of the boreholes breakdown, the people, rather than repair it, resort to pond water. Hawkers will display Suya along the road and flies perch on them and people patronize them without considering the health implication. In Abakaliki, most houses do not have toilet facilities and people defecate around the houses. This leads to disease outbreak because the same flies that perch on the faeces also perch on foods”.