Oyo alerts residents over suspected cholera outbreak

Tamarauemi Ebimini

A state of vigilance has been declared in Oyo as the government has raised an alarm over a potential cholera outbreak in the State.

In a swift response to curbing the potential spread of the disease, officials have urged residents to maintain high levels of hygiene, particularly in regards to food and water sources.

The alert came as the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, visited a private hospital in Ibadan where two suspected cholera cases were receiving treatment, prompting concerns about the potential for a wider outbreak.

Dr. Ajetunmobi noted that cholera is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces (poop) of an infected person.

She explained that cholera is highly infectious and can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration, adding that it may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting, and fever.

The commissioner described the two suspected cases in Ibadan, which had been tracked down to a private facility in the state as male workers at a construction site in Lekki Peninsula from Lagos State.

She noted that there is no cause for alarm as the ministry and other partners are on top of the situation.

Dr. Oluwaserimi, therefore, reiterated the response efforts of the state government through the ministry to ensure that the state does not record casualties from the cholera outbreak from Lagos State.

According to her, the response efforts include, the deployment of LGA DSNO, promotional jingles in English and Yoruba running in different media houses, Immediate inauguration of the Cholera Technical Working Group, putting IDC Olodo into active mode for isolation and management, reaching out to all our surveillance rangers at the LGA level to intensify surveillance activities, re-posting of cholera case definition on the platform of community informants for updates, awareness, and sensitization of the gatekeepers, and other well-established community structures.

The commissioner, therefore, appealed to all to be safety conscious and always drink water only from clean sources, and practice good personal hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water.

She maintained that anyone with the symptoms mentioned above should not partake in self-medication but present themselves at the nearest healthcare facility immediately.