The Nigeria Centre for Disease and Prevention Control (NCDC) has registered 79 deaths and a total of 1,336 suspected cases of cholera in the country so far in 2023.

The NCDC, via its official website, said this in its latest cholera situation epidemiological report.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholera bacteria.

People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

The agency said 12 states across 43 local government areas reported the suspected cases, with a case fatality ratio of 5.9 per cent.

It said the 12 states reporting cases in the country included Abia, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

According to it, of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, age groups 15-24 and >45 years were the most affected age groups for males and females, respectively.

It said that of all suspected cases, 53 per cent were males and 47 per cent were females.

“Six states – Cross River (647 cases), Ebonyi (97 cases), Abia (72 cases), Niger (38 cases), and Zamfara (28 cases) account for 96 per cent of all cumulative cases.

“Fifteen LGAs across nine states Ebonyi (4), Cross River (3), Ondo (2), Bayelsa (1), Abia (1), Katsina (1), Sokoto (1) Niger (1) and Zamfara (1), reported more than 5 cases each this year,” it said.

The NCDC said it would continue training on cholera surveillance, hotspot mapping, state-level preparedness and response plans.

Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organisation, at least 24 countries continue to report cholera cases.

Regarding historical transmission patterns and seasonality, large parts of the world are currently in low or inter-epidemic transmission periods, therefore, this number could increase in the months to come.

In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually, mostly during the rainy season and more often in areas with poor sanitation.

(NAN)