Lagos State is at the centre of a significant cholera outbreak in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said.
The latest data via the NCDC website stated that as of week 25, Lagos state, registered 104 new cases out of the country’s total of 113 reported cases for the week.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that cholera is a severe diarrheal illness caused by the bacterium *Vibrio cholerae*.
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The NCDC said that the outbreak resulted in seven deaths nationwide, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 6.1 per cent in the state.
It said that Ogun state reported seven cases, while Katsina had one case.
The NCDC said that in the last month, Lagos state alone reported 533 suspected cholera cases, contributing significantly to the country’s total of 576 cases.
The agency said other states with reported cases include Ogun (19), Rivers (9), Katsina (8), Oyo (2), Abia (2), Bayelsa (2), and Sokoto (1).
It stated that the month also saw 32 deaths across the country, with a CFR of 5.6 per cent, significantly higher than the national expected average of one per cent, underscoring the severity of the situation
The NCDC said that efforts to diagnose and control the outbreak included 217 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT), of which 17 were positive, and 232 stool culture tests, with 28 positive results.
It said that the National Multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group (TWG) continue to oversee and coordinate response efforts across the affected states.
The agency said that as of June 23, 2024, Nigeria has reported a total of 1,579 suspected cholera cases and 54 deaths (CFR 3.4 per cent across 32 states.
It said that the age groups most affected were children under five years old, followed by those aged five -14 years, with an equal distribution between males and females.
“Lagos State leads with 537 cases, accounting for 34 per cent of the national total.
“In Bayelsa State, Southern Ijaw LGA reported 151 cases, making up 10 per cent of the country’s total.
“Other significantly affected states include Bayelsa (466), Abia (109), Zamfara (64), Bauchi (46), Katsina (45), Cross River (43), Ebonyi (38), Rivers (37), Delta (34), Imo (28), Ogun (21), Nasarawa (19), Ondo (17), Kano (13), Niger (11), and Osun (11),” he said.
Notably, the NCDC said that there has been a 37 per cent decrease in suspected cholera cases compared to the same period in 2023, with a 21 per cent reduction in cumulative deaths in 2024.
