Medical experts have warned that the latest cholera outbreak may spread to many communities and states in the country during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration if necessary measures were not quickly taken to limit the spread of the acute diarrhoeal infection.
The experts, who spoke in separate interviews with this newspaper, said the increase in travel over the holiday season might result in a rise in cholera cases.
This comes as the Lagos State Government confirmed 15 deaths from the infection.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the bacteria Vibrio cholerae in contaminated water and food.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also warned the public of the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the rainy season intensifies.
The centre stated that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths, had been reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states.
It noted that the 10 states contributing 90% to the burden of cholera include Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos states.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.
There were 473,000 cholera cases reported to WHO in 2022 double the number from 2021. A further increase of cases by 700,000 was estimated in 2023.
The latest data from the World Health Organisation showed that a cumulative total of 145,900 cholera cases and 1,766 deaths were reported from 24 countries across five WHO regions, with Africa recording the highest numbers, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, and the European Region.
Speaking on the possibility of further spread during the Sallah celebration, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Dele Abdullahi, stated that the surge in holiday season travel could lead to an increase in cholera cases.
Abdullahi said, “Cholera is a bacterial infection, so there is a possibility of it spreading to other states during the festive season.
