The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has confirmed the death of 1,178 suspected victims of cholera in 23 states and the FCT as the country recorded a total of 37,819 cases as at Saturday, August 14.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, NCDC Director-General, made the disclosure on Monday, in Abuja, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Ihekweazu listed the states to include Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi and Sokoto.
Others are Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Adamawa, Katsina, Borno, Taraba and the FCT.
Ihekweazu said that of the reported cases, 26 per cent were aged 5 to 14 years, 51 per cent were males while 49 per cent were females.
The NCDC boss noted that there had been a decrease in the number of new cases in the last two weeks.
“Bauchi (773), Niger (284), Zamfara (253) and Katsina (217) account for 78.1 per cent of 1,956 cases reported in the last two weeks.
“Since the beginning of the year, a total of 1,938 samples have been collected with positive cases as follow: 277 Rapid Diagnosis Test, positive only.
“Eighty-two culture positive; 359 RDT and culture positive. The Test Positivity Rate for laboratory confirmation by culture, is 23 per cent.
“No new state reported cases in epi week 31. A total of 770 suspected cases were reported this week representing a 34 per cent decrease, compared to 1,162 suspected cases recorded in week 30,” he explained.
The DG however, said that the national multi-sectoral EOC activated at level 2 continues to coordinate the national response.
Cholera is a waterborne disease, and the risk of transmission is higher when there is poor sanitation and disruption of clean water supply.
