Cholera claims 72 lives, infects 2,984 in one week

NCDC reports 21% decrease in new cases
Latest figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) show that the cholera killed 72 more persons in nine states and afflicted 2,984 in 14 states, just last week.

This brings the total number of deaths since January 1, 2021 to 1,768 with 47,603 suspected cases reported from 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

According to the Cholera Situation Report released yesterday by NCDC, 23 states and FCT reported suspected cholera cases this year. They include Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Nasarawa, Niger, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Adamawa, Enugu, Katsina, Borno, Taraba and FCT.

It stated: “In the reporting week, 14 states reported 2,984 suspected cases – Bauchi (1,306), Jigawa (714), Kebbi (325), Katsina (173), Yobe (164), Sokoto (101), Zamfara (57), Adamawa (44), Kano (36), Niger (33), Nasarawa (20), Borno (seven), FCT (three) and Plateau (one). Of this, there were 19 confirmed cases from Yobe (16) and Adamawa (three).

“In addition, there were 72 deaths from nine states: Bauchi (21), Jigawa (17), Kebbi (14), Katsina (seven), Kano (three), Yobe (three), Sokoto (one), Nasarawa (one) and Adamawa (one).”

National Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) is 3.7 per cent.

According to the report, no new state reported cases in Week 32. The national multi-sectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) activated at Level 02 continues to coordinate the national response.

However, the NCDC said there was 21 per cent decrease in the number of new suspected cases in week 32 (2,984) compared with week 31 (3,781).

The NCDC noted that of all suspected cases, 51 per cent are males and 49 per cent females, adding that since the beginning of the year, 1,999 samples had been collected with positive cases as follows; 314 RDT positive only and 113 culture positive.

It also reported the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) for laboratory confirmation by culture at 5.7 per cent.

To further contain the outbreak, NCDC said: “There is ongoing surveillance in all states through the routine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) and Event Based Surveillance (EBS).”

It is providing offsite/onsite support to states and follow-up for daily reporting and progress with response activities; technical support and response commodities to affected states; and supported testing of samples received from Benue, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Katsina, Enugu, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and FCT at NCDC National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Abuja.