By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

A cholera outbreak is ongoing in Agouégan village, Agouégan health area (HA) located in the Lacs district in Togo, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Togo map/Alvaro1984 18

The index case was notified on 5 November 2021 by the health unit of Agouégan. This was a 15-year-old boy admitted for diarrhea and signs of severe dehydration who died later.

As of 9 November 2021, a total of 17 cases and 4 deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR) = 23.5%) have been reported in the Lacs district.

The village of Agouégan is near the Togolese border with Benin where another cholera outbreak is ongoing, and it is separated from Benin by the Mono River.

Since 1990, major cholera outbreaks have been recorded in different areas of Togo. The Lacs district is one of the at-risk areas for cholera due to poor environmental hygiene conditions coupled with recurrent flooding and open defecation which is common in the area. Access to drinking water is suboptimal. The proximity of the Lacs district to Benin that is also experiencing cholera outbreak is concerning given the frequent high population movements between the two countries.

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