At least 30 people have been killed in the latest cholera
outbreak in Isoko South community of Nigeria's oil-rich Delta State, a health
official said Monday.
Steven Ofili, chief epidemiologist at the Delta State health
ministry, said prompt response and physical attention of health workers had curbed
the spread of the disease.
According to the official, people of the local community had
been facing challenges of cholera disease since 2010, when their main source of
drinking water was polluted.
He said, rather than seeking medical help at the local health
center in the area, the people resorted to traditional medicines and self-medication
to cure themselves.
'It was not until after the disease had claimed five lives
that they (the local residents) brought it to the knowledge of the local
authorities,' the official told Xinhua in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Confirmed cases of cholera were promptly treated at the local
health facility where medical workers, in addition to examination and
administration of preventive drugs, have been giving tips on how to combat the
disease, the senior health official said.
In 2010, more than 30 people had died when the first cholera
outbreak was recorded following the pollution of the main source of water
supply in the same area of Delta State.
Cholera, an infectious disease, causes severe watery diarrhea
and can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated.
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