NCDC – A total of 84 deaths have been reported as a result of cholera, with 2,860 individuals suspected to have contracted the disease between January and August 27, 2023, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The situation report for weeks 31 to 34, released on Wednesday, disclosed that 25 states across 124 Local Government Areas reported the suspected cases, resulting in a case-fatality ratio of 2.9 per cent.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can become infected when they consume food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria.
Cholera cases mostly affect young Nigerians
While the infection can often be mild or asymptomatic, it can occasionally be severe and life-threatening.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease that typically occurs annually, particularly during the rainy season, and is more prevalent in areas with inadequate sanitation.
The cholera situation report indicated that the majority of suspected cases since the beginning of the year have affected age groups under five years, followed by those aged five to 14 years, encompassing both males and females.
It also revealed that among all suspected cases, 51 per cent were males, and 49 per cent were females.
The states that have reported cases of cholera in the country include Zamfara, Cross River, Katsina, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Niger, Abia, Jigawa, Kano, Ondo, Borno, Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, and Gombe, among others.
“Zamfara (787 cases) accounts for 28 per cent of all suspected cases in the country of the 25 States that have reported cases of cholera.
Obubra LGA (515 cases) in Cross River State accounts for 18% of all suspected cases reported in the country. Of the affected States, Cross River (718 cases), Katsina (302 cases), Bayelsa (265 cases), Ebonyi (227 cases), Niger (136 cases), and Abia (118 cases) account for 62 per cent of the suspected cases this year,” the report stated.
Comparatively, the report noted that suspected cases of cholera in the current year have decreased by 63 per cent compared to what was reported as of week 34 in 2022. Cumulative deaths recorded have decreased by 67 per cent in 2023.