Borno Govt confirms 559 cholera cases, 43 deaths

The Borno government has confirmed 559 cholera cases in the state.

Mrs Juliana Bitrus, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said this when she spoke with newsmen in Maiduguri on Tuesday.

Bitrus said 43 deaths have also been recorded out of 559 suspected cases.

She said the disease was recorded in Gwoza, Kaga, Hawul, Magumeri, Dambao, Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Bitrus said 354 cases were recorded in Gwoza, with 18 deaths, while Hawul recorded 126 cases with 11 deaths.

“Others are Kaga with 22 cases, two deaths, Magumeri, six cases, one death, Damboa, 39 cases, 10 deaths, Jere eight cases, one death while Maiduguri has four cases, no death,” she said.

The commissioner said that the state did not record any outbreak of the disease in 2019 and 2021.

She said that government had constituted Rapid Response Teams for disease surveillance and control in the affected LGAs to ensure timely response on all cases.

“Active case search in communities is ongoing, while about 10 CTC/CTU has been established in affected LGAs.

“All secondary health facilities have been directed to create isolation wards for management of cases,” Bitrus said.

She urged the public to take precautionary measures against the disease by observing strict hygiene practice.

“People should observe precautionary measures like regular hand washing before eating and after visiting the toilet, covering of food, warming of leftover food before consumption.

“Treatment of water with aqua tab or chlorination and ensuring that all death related victims are buried in line with IPC protocol,” Bitrus said.