Cholera: Borno records 274 new cases in 24 hours

Borno State recorded 274 new suspected cholera cases within 24 hours, according to the Manager of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, Dr. Jacob Audu Thliza. Dr. Thliza disclosed this while presenting the state’s Cholera Epidemiological Summary covering the period from May 1 to June 2 during a stakeholders’ meeting in Maiduguri on Tuesday. The meeting, which focused on preventive measures and the management of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera, brought together stakeholders from the 27 local government areas of the state. According to Dr. Thliza, a total of 4,204 suspected cholera cases have been recorded at Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) and Oral Rehydration Points (ORPs) across the state. A breakdown of the cases showed that Jere Local Government Area recorded 1,214 cases; Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), 2,404; Konduga, 275; Mafa, 184; Monguno, 90; Kaga, 18; Bama, 8; Kwaya Kusar, 8; Ngala, 2; and Magumeri, 1. He added that 39 deaths had been recorded, while 2,664 patients had been discharged. The outbreak has affected 118 settlements across 21 communities. Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Borno State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Shettima Maina Mohammed, said the disease’s case fatality rate had declined to below one per cent. “The case fatality rate is now less than one per cent. This is due to the aggressive response in treating active cases in affected communities, as well as sustained health promotion and awareness campaigns,” he said. Dr. Mohammed added that the ministry had deployed health workers, ad hoc committees, and volunteers to affected communities. He said preventive materials, including soap, disinfectants, and chlorine, had also been distributed to curb the spread of the disease to other areas.