The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401 across the state, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, Ikorodu and Eti Osa recording the highest numbers.
Ogunyemi, while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, PHEOC, added that the death toll had also risen to 21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatalities.
She said: “The rise in cases was anticipated, following the Ileya festivities, during which large gatherings occurred.’’
She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding across LGAs, particularly previously affected LGAs, due to the state government’s interventions and surveillance efforts.
Ogunyemi said the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programs and activities to curb the spread.
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‘’We have also intensified our surveillance activities in communities, particularly in affected local government areas, to address the situation head-on.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure all precautions are taken in our schools to protect children and scholars as they return.
‘’Residents must, however, remain vigilant, practice good hand hygiene, and participate in community sanitation activities to stop the spread of cholera,” the special adviser stated.
Ogunyemi urged citizens to seek medical attention immediately after they experienced symptoms, such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment was provided free of charge at all public health facilities.
Cholera, a severe diarrheal illness, caused by infection with the bacterium vibrio cholerae, spreads primarily through contaminated water and food, thriving rapidly in unsanitary conditions.
Announcing the outbreak of the disease earlier, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had revealed that the initial suspected cases of cholera were reported in 29 wards across multiple local government areas, LGAs, with 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities.
READ ALSO: Cholera strain in Lagos highly contagious—Dr. Abayomi
“The laboratory investigation and test results have so far confirmed Cholera sub type O-1. This sub-type is associated with more severe disease. The pattern of new cases per day varies across LGAs, according to our ongoing surveillance and monitoring updates.”
“The Directorate of Environmental Health of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environment, have collected samples of water sources, food and beverage samples in all the affected LGAs, while inspections of facilities are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Professor Adetokunbo Fabamnwo, said that the five cholera patients admitted at the hospital last week had been discharged, adding that there was no surge of cases at the facility.
“We had only five cases in LASUTH last week. We do not have fresh cases and they have all gone home. As you know the trend is that even across the state the number is reducing. There is no cause for panic anymore,’’ he said.