Cholera Outbreak Hits Anambra

At least eleven people have been hospitalized in Inoma community in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state following a cholera outbreak and the State’s Ministry of Health has deployed a rapid response team to assess reported cases.

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr Joseph Akabuike, in a statement issued in Awka said, “The team was dispatched by the Commissioner for Health and its led by the State Disease Surveillance Officer Adaora Ejikeme, accompanied by the State UNICEF Consultant, Didien Gbofemi. The team was tasked to stem the spread as well as recommend measures at containing any replication. Eleven patients, five boys and six girls within the age bracket of one to 10years old, had since been admitted into a health facility in the area.  The patients, our correspondent gathered, showed symptoms of excessive stooling, vomiting, acute dehydration and malnutrition”.

“As part of the intervention to control the outbreak, the team supplied antimicrobial medicines such as Doxycycline tablets, flagyl infusions, flagly tablets, ciprofloxacin tabs, ciprotabinfussions, ceptraxone injections among others. They also gave out sets of water guard, needles and syringes and bags of water to the Inoma Health facility. The team later paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Inoma Community, Igwe Emmanuel Oluta to sensitise him and his cabinet and other members of the community on the prevention and control measures for cholera. A preliminary report released by the Rapid Response Team, showed that the main source of drinking water for the community was a contaminated stream”.