Cholera Kills 20 In Rivers Community

…171 cases recorded

At least 20 persons have been reported dead from acute diarrhoeal disease in a community in Adoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Nation reports the state’s Commissioner for Health, Sampson Parker, confirmed the situation in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Wednesday.

According to him, a total of about 171 cases have also been recorded following the January 5 outbreak of cholera in the area.

The commissioner, who assured members of the public of government’s determination to curtail the spread of the disease, noted that two treatment centres have been set up in two of the worst hit communities.

World Health Organization physician Sylvester Malemi said his agency would provide technical support to the state to tackle the outbreak.

He advised residents of the affected areas to boil their water before drinking and maintain good hygiene.

Cholera, a highly contagious intestinal infection, is transmitted by water soiled by human waste. The disease leads to diarrhoea, dehydration and death if untreated.

Cholera (gastroenteritis), according to research is caused by an infection in the intestinal wall and can kill even a healthy adult within a short period.

Symptoms, including severe diarrhoea, can surface within two hours or up to five days after infection, and can then trigger extreme dehydration and kidney failure.