Cholera outbreak: Identified strain in state highly aggressive, contagious, warns Lagos govt

• We’re ready to tackle disease, says Ondo govt
• Urges residents to take precautionary measures

Lagos State Government has said that the identified strain of Cholera outbreak in the state is highly aggressive and contagious, with significant potential for widespread dissemination.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this, yesterday, in a post shared on his Instagram page @profakinabayomi, noted that laboratory tests confirmed that the recent disease outbreak in the state is Cholera.

He said that 17 confirmed cases had been recorded out of 350 suspected cases with 15 deaths so far.

The commissioner noted that suspected cases are receiving free treatment at the public health facilities in the state in line with public health response protocols.

Abayomi stated that community-based case finding and contact tracing have led to a peak in the number of cases, which is now declining.

He said that the state government is receiving support from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), while the local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are actively raising awareness and conducting community-based surveillance efforts.

The commissioner further noted that the state is intensifying its public health campaigns in light of the Sallah celebrations, and the associated transmission risks from gatherings and catering services, to prevent resurgence.
MEANWHILE, the Ondo State Government has said that structures to tackle the possible spread of cholera disease in the state have been put in place with an immediate response activated.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr BanjiAjaka, who revealed that no active case of the disease had been recorded, the government is ready to curtail any form of detection.

Ajaka also said that the state had strengthened the Rapid Response Team, which includes PHC coordinators, lab focal persons, and disease surveillance officers across the senatorial districts of the state, through the COPREP programme.

He said that an emergency preparedness committee would be put in place to work on the provision of potable water, sanitation, strengthening of health institutions, and other relevant sectors.

Besides, he said there would be collaborative efforts between all the agencies in the health sector and other Ministries, Departments and agencies (MDAs)

The commissioner, therefore, appealed to citizens of the state to maintain a high level of personal and food hygiene and report promptly to the hospital for cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.