Angela Onwuzoo The Lagos State Government has attributed the alarming number of deaths recorded in the latest cholera outbreak in the state to late presentation. It disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 579, out of which 43 were confirmed through laboratory analysis, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa Local Government Areas recording the highest numbers. Disclosing the figures at a press briefing on Monday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, said the death toll had risen to 29, an increase of five from the previously reported 24 fatalities.
Abayomi also revealed that 30 patients were currently hospitalised for varying degrees of the disease at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba. The commissioner said, “Most of these deaths were caused by patients presenting very late at a stage where we could not resuscitate them because they had severe rehydration and many patients were brought in dead. “So far, we have not been able to identify a source yet, but investigations are ongoing.
Moving forward, we are going to keep active surveillance around our water sources and beverages in Lagos state.” Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera. It appears periodically in countries unable to secure access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation like Nigeria.
Although a preventable and treatable disease, the number of cholera cases ten.