Cholera kills 20 in Abia

By Anayo Okoli

AT LEAST 20 people are reported to have died from an outbreak of gastro-enteritis (cholera) at Ezeukwu community in Bende local government area of Abia State. However, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Okechukwu Oga, confirmed that only 15 people died and that the situation had been brought under control.

Oga disclosed in a telephone interview with Vanguard that those affected had been moved to where there were better medical facilities, adding that there was no cause for alarm as the situation had been brought under total control.

According to the Commissioner, the cholera outbreak occurred last Sunday in the community.

He pointed out that the casualties were those affected between 3am and 12noon that Sunday before the Ministry of Health became aware and deployed its personnel and medications to control the situation.

Oga disclosed that so far, over 70 cases had been recorded with 15 mortalities, assuring that the government had taken adequate measures to ensure that the decease did not spread to other parts of the community.

Suspected cause

Sources from the community were of the opinion that the outbreak would have been caused by adulterated water, as the community’s major source of drinking water is from a local stream in the area.

When the outbreak occurred, most of the victims were said to have been initially rushed to Royal Cross Hospital in the area, owned by the Methodist Church, which then called for government’s assistance.

The commissioner advised the people not to panic, assuring that enough medications and personnel had been deployed in the area.