By Beatrice Gondyi
20 people have been reported killed while 322 others have hospitalized as a result of the outbreak of cholera pandemic in Bauchi State one month ago.
This was disclosed by the commissioner of Health, Dr. Aliyu Maigoro, while briefing journalists in his office on Tuesday. Explained that so far, 9 Local Government Areas in the state recorded a total of 322 cases within one month, just as the case fatality rate is 6.2 percent.
“The state Ministry of Health was notified of a sporadic case of gastroenteritis in Magami Community, Burra Ward of Ningi Local Government Area by the Area Health Officer in Burra District on the 11th May 2021”.
“This followed an increase in the number of cases above normal from the community.
“The index case was a 37-year old housewife who presented at Burra General Hospital on 24th April 2021. She complained of abdominal pains, watery diarrhea, and vomiting, she and others were successfully managed and discharged home,” he disclosed.
He said: “Following intensified surveillance activities as a result of the report from Burra, Warji, Bauchi, Giade and Toro detected and reported cases of gastroenteritis”.
“A total of 21 samples have so far been collected and tested out of which 19 positives by Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and by a culture which confirmed the presence of v.cholera”.
“Bauchi recorded 147 cases with nine deaths, Toro 58 cases with three deaths, Ningi 51 cases also with three deaths, Misau had 31 cases with four deaths, Giade recorded 10 cases with one death, Ganjuwa seven cases with no death, Shira and Darazo recorded one case each with no deaths while Warji had 16 cases with no deaths”.
“This brings the total of confirmed cases to 322 with 20 deaths and 6.2 percent death rate.”
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The Health Commissioner said that four cholera treatment units have been activated in Bauchi metropolis at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, Urban Maternity and Primary Health Center, Kandahar.
He said that isolation centers have been set up in all General Hospitals of the affected LGAs, activation of the State Public Health Emergency Operation Center, provision of drugs and consumables to all the isolation sites on the state, and chlorination of wells and decontamination of households the affected LGAs.
Dr. Maigoro further said that a cholera treatment center had been set up at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital to centralize case management and mobilization of doctors, nurses, and other paramedics to provide care to the victims.
