The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reports that from January to November 27, 2022, there were 583 confirmed cases of cholera deaths and 23,550 probable cases of the illness.
In its most recent weekly report on the cholera situation for weeks 44–47, which our correspondent got on Tuesday, the NCDC made this disclosure.
According to the report, there were suspected instances recorded in 270 Local Government Areas across 33 states.
Vibrio cholerae, a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium, is the source of the acute diarrheal illness known as cholera.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic, seasonal illness that typically manifests during the rainy season and more frequently in unhygienic locations.
According to the research, the age range of 5 to 14 years is the most impacted, with 49% of probable cases being male and 51% being female since the year’s beginning.
The report read in part, “32 states and the FCT have reported suspected cholera cases in 2022. These are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
“In the reporting month, six states reported 1,393 suspected cases: Borno (1,124), Gombe (165), Bauchi (61), Katsina (16), Adamawa (14), and Kano (13).
“There was a 78 per cent decrease in the number of new suspected cases in November Epi weeks 44–47 (1393) compared with October Epi weeks 40–43 (6306).
“In the reporting week, Borno (24), Gombe (14), Bauchi (13), Kano (5), Katsina (1), and Adamawa (1), reported 58 suspected cases.
“Borno, Gombe, and Bauchi states account for 88% of the 58 suspected cases reported in week 47.
“During the reporting week, two Cholera Rapid Diagnostic tests were conducted in Gombe 2 (100% positive).
“Two stool culture tests were conducted from Gombe, 1(100 per cent positive) and Bauchi 1(0 per cent positive) in epi week 47.
“Of the cases reported, there were two deaths with a weekly case fatality ratio (CFR) of 3.4 per cent. There were no new state-reported cases in week 47.
“The National Multi-Sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group continues to monitor response across states.”
It added that six states—Borno (1,2459 cases), Yobe (1,888 cases), Katsina (1,632 cases), Gombe (1,407 cases), Taraba (1,142 cases), and Kano (1,131 cases) —account for 84 per cent of all cumulative cases and 15 LGAs across five states Borno (7), Yobe (4), Taraba (2), Gombe (1), and Zamfara (1)—reported more than 200 cases each this year.