Cholera outbreak usually occurs during the raining season, thus the need for proactive measure. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) recently reported 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths. The cases were reported from 96 local government areas (LGAs) in 30 States.
According to NCDC, Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos State are the 10 states that contributed 90 percent to the burden of cholera presently in the country. Cholera is a food and water-borne disease, caused by the ingestion of the organism Vibrio Cholerae in contaminated water and food. On food and water contamination, NCDC explained that“Water is usually contaminated by the faeces of infected individuals, adding that contamination of drinking water can occur at the source, during transportation, or during storage at home.
Food may be contaminated by soiled hands, either during preparation or while eating. Beverages prepared with contaminated water and sold by street vendors, ice, and even commercial bottled water have been implicated as vehicles of transmission, as have cooked vegetables and fruits freshened with untreated wastewater.” The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms is two hours to five days.
It has a higher risk of transmission in areas that lack adequate sanitation facilities and/or a regular supply of clean water. Unsafe practices such as improper disposal of refuse and open defeca.