The Osun government says there are no confirmed cases of cholera outbreak in the state.

The director of public health in the health ministry, Akeem Bello, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Osogbo.

However, Mr Bello said that all the primary healthcare centres in the state had been put on alert in case of an outbreak of the disease.

“Presently, we have yet to record any outbreak of cholera in the state,” he said.

The director, however, stated that since last week, when news about the outbreak of the disease had filtered in from Lagos, all the primary healthcare centres across the state had been put on standby in case of an outbreak.

“We are on top of the situation, and the government is doing everything possible to ensure that in case of any outbreak, we can quickly curtail it,” he said.

Mr Bello also said that an Emergency Operation Centre for cholera would be activated in case of an outbreak to prevent the spread of the disease in schools.

He also said a surveillance team from the epidemiology department would be monitoring the state’s situation to contain the disease’s spread or outbreak.

“An emergency operation centre (EOC) will be activated any moment from now. Officials from the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are members of the EOC and are well-informed about the cholera outbreak in Lagos,” he said.

Mr Bello also said that the government had placed jingles in some radio stations to sensitise residents on the causes and prevention of cholera.

Cholera is a highly infectious disease caused by vibrio cholera, characterised by diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, abdominal cramps and fever.

If left untreated, cholera can lead to severe dehydration, shock and even death within hours.

However, prompt treatment with oral rehydration therapy (ORT) or intravenous fluids can effectively manage the disease.

Cholera is typically spread through contaminated food and water, poor sanitation and hygiene, as well as close contact with infected individuals.

It can be prevented by proper hand washing, safe drinking water, proper food handling and storage, and avoiding close contact with infected individuals, among other things.

(NAN)