The Lagos State government has urged the people of the state to be extra vigilant and take precautionary measures as the state records a cholera outbreak resulting in five fatalities.
The state Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, issued out the warning in a statement in the early hours of Wednesday that the state had recorded an excess report of severe gastroenteritis cases in the last 48 hours.
Speaking on the surveillance reports, the commissioner disclosed that cases of severe gastroenteritis have been reported in communities around Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Ikorodu and Kosofe local government areas.
He observed that the outbreak resulted in almost 60 hospital admissions and five deaths, majority from patients presenting late with extreme dehydration.
“We have activated a statewide heightened surveillance and response.
“The Ministry of Health Directorate of Environmental Health and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) have been alerted to investigate a possible water contamination source in the Lekki, Victoria Island axis.
“We suspect a possible cholera outbreak; however, samples have been taken for confirmation,” he said.
Professor Abayomi explained that cholera is a highly contagious disease that causes severe diarrhoea and can be life-threatening.
He further disclosed that it posed a significant health burden in poor water treatment and sanitation areas and could impact the state.
“Cholera spreads through direct transmission by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and indirect transmission due to poor sanitation and a lack of handwashing.” he noted.
The health commissioner explained that symptoms of cholera included severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid dehydration, muscle cramps, fever and sometimes collapse.
