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No fewer than five people have died as a result of a cholera outbreak in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Amongst the five people that are a four-month-old baby and 33-year-old pregnant woman.
The Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ayinde Akinsanya disclosed this on Friday, during a press briefing in Abeokuta.
Akinsanya said the number of reported cases has risen to 12.
It was reported that four persons in Abule Otun in Abeokuta North local government area of the state have lost their lives to the outbreak.
According to Akinsanya, the baby died at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, adding that the others did not go to any health facility in the state.
He said the other seven cases have been hospitalised at the state hospital in Ijaye.
“On 21 November, 2019, the State Epidemiology Unit received a report of a laboratory-confirmed case of cholera from the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.
“The case index is a 33-year-old pregnant woman who was presented at FMC on referral on 19 November from a private facility. She resides in Abule-Otun, Lafenwa Abeokuta, but trades at Kuto market.
“Prior to the onset of symptoms, she ate rice purchased from a food vendor with sachet water at Kuto market. There have been prior reported suspected cases of cholera linked to Kuto market, but could not be confirmed because they had commenced antibiotics.
“A total of 12 cases (index case inclusive ) have been line-listed. Eight reported from health facilities and four picked in the communities from retrospective case search.
“One death from cases reported in the health facilities and four other deaths in the community that were never reported at the health facility, but from information gathered during investigation,”he stated.
The Permanent Secretary added that a thorough investigation has commenced in the affected communities to control the outbreak.
He further stated that the government has conducted active case search in all health facilities, pharmacy, outlets and patent medicine vendors, adding that the state’s water corporation has been advised to screen local sources of water in the communities.
Akinsanya said plans have been put in place to provide alternative source of water to break transmission.