By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 46 new deaths linked to suspected cholera cases were recorded in the country in the past one week.

The NCDC said this via its officially verified website on Tuesday morning, stating that the situation report was published based on data sent in by the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, for the respective reporting week.

It stated that eight states accounted for the new cholera fatalities.

The public health agency, in its epidemiological report for Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, said a total of 2,323 people had so far died as a result of suspected cholera infections in 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), since the beginning of 2021.

It stated that 1,677 cholera infections were recorded in 12 states within the period of one-week , bringing the total suspected cases to 69,925 as at Sept. 5.

“In the reporting week, 12 states reported 1,677 suspected cases – Bauchi (566), Katsina (282), Sokoto (258), Yobe (183), Borno (179), Niger (94), Kaduna (66), Adamawa (34), Gombe (8), Kano (4), Kebbi (2), and Nasarawa (1),” the report said.

“There was a 58% decrease in the number of new suspected cases in week 35 (1,667) compared with week 34 (3,992).

“Of the cases reported, there were 46 deaths from Borno (13), Sokoto (12), Katsina (8), Bauchi (6), Niger (3), Kaduna (2), Adamawa (1) and Kano (1) states with a weekly case fatality ratio (CFR) of 2.7%.

“Twenty-five states and the FCT have reported suspected cholera cases in 2021. These are Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

“As at Sept. 5, 2021, a total of 69,925 suspected cases, including 2,323 deaths (CFR 3.3%) have been reported from 25 states and FCT in 2021.

“Two new states (Osun and Ekiti) reported cases, though with dates of onset in weeks prior to week 35,” it explained.

The NCDC added that the national multi-sectoral EOC activated at level 02 continued to coordinate the national response.

Cholera is a waterborne disease with a high risk of transmission where there are poor sanitation and disruption of clean water supply.

The wrong disposal of refuse and practices, such as open defecation, endanger the safety of water used for drinking and for personal use, thereby leading to the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera, and without proper WASH, Nigeria remained at risk of cholera cases and deaths.