Cholera outbreak kills 7 people in Enugu

A cholera outbreak has killed no fewer than seven (7) people in New Artisan Livestock Market, Enugu, the State Commissioner for Health, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi said on Friday.

Also, 19 sick persons were identified with the symptoms of loose stool and vomiting in the market.

According to him, the Ministry’s rapid response team, upon receiving reports of the incident carried out an immediate investigation, and “it was observed that the patients presented with sudden onset of the passage of loose stool and vomiting.”

He continued, “the ill persons identified within the area were immediately and safely evacuated to the state teaching hospital and are receiving treatment, while health education on safe and hygienic practices was given to the inhabitants of the market.”

The Health Commissioner added, “further tests carried out by the State Ministry of Health at the Teaching Hospital revealed that all the persons were suffering from Cholera.”

He explained that samples were collected for further confirmatory tests of this finding.

However, surveillance, contact tracing, and risk assessment have commenced at the market and its environs, while the Enugu State Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Centre for Cholera outbreak response will be activated on Saturday 17th July 2021.