By Segun Awofadeji

No fewer than 20 people have died while 322 have been infected with cholera following the recent outbreak of the disease in Bauchi state, the State Ministry of Health has confirmed.

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aliyu Mohammed Maigoro, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference at the State Ministry of health in Bauchi, said that 322 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in nine local government area, namely Bauchi, Darazo, Ganjuwa, Giade, Misau, Ningi, Shira, Toro, and Warji.

The Commissioner said that Bauchi local government recorded 149 cases with 9 deaths, Darazo LGA recorded 1 case, Ganjuwa recorded 7 cases, Giade recorded 10 cases with 1 death, Misau recorded 31 cases with 4 deaths, Ningi recorded 51 cases with 3 deaths, Shira recorded 1 case, Toro recorded 58 cases with 3 deaths while Warji recorded 16 cases.

He said that the index case was that of a 37 year old housewife who was presented at Burra General hospital on the 24th of April, 2021, adding that the index case complained of abdominal pains, watery diarrhea and vomiting, which she and others affected were successfully managed and discharged.

According to him, “The ministry through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency responded immediately to prevent the spread to other communities. It was discovered that there was an ongoing outbreak of similar disease in neighboring Sumaila and other local government areas of Kano state”

“Following intensified surveillance activities as a result of the report from Bura, four local government areas of Warji, Bauchi, Giade, Toro, detected and reported cases of gastroenteritis.No fewer than 21 samples have so far been collected and tested out of which 19 were positive by Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and culture, confirmed the presence of Cholera,” he said

Dr Aliyu said that some of the response activities so far conducted include activation of the State Public Health Emergency Operation Center, development of an incident Action Plan, surveillance activities heightened to detect and report cases promptly, setting up of isolation centers in all the general hospitals of the affected local government.

Other response activities according to the commissioner include the provision of drugs and consumables to all the Isolation sites in the state, mobilization of staff to provide care to victims, chlorination of wells and decontamination of households in the affected LGAs, engagement of community and religious leaders, and the general public on prevention and control measures amongst others.