The World Health Organization (WHO) says the cholera outbreak that has affected Nigeria since the beginning of the year is now ‘under control’ at least 4 of the 17 affected local government areas.

Image/Robert Herriman
Image/Robert Herriman

In its latest epidemiological situation analysis, the WHO said 367 new suspected cases and 4 deaths were reported in the Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Niger, Plateau and Zamfara states in the week ending July 15.

“Samples collected from 12 of the cases tested positive by rapid diagnostic test (RDT). None of these have been cultured. As of 18 July 2018, a total of 16 892 suspected cases with 201 deaths, with a case fatality ratio 1.2%, have been reported from bAdamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Yobe, and Zamfara since the beginning of 2018,” the WHO said.

To date, samples from 268 cases have tested positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture. The WHO noted there has been an overall declining trend since the peak of the outbreak in the week ended May 27, when 1 345 cases were reported.

“With no new cases reported in the last four weeks in Anambra, Nasarawa, Borno, and Yobe States the outbreak is considered to be under control in these states. The decrease in the number of cases has also been reported from Adamawa State, which has been one of the epi-centres of this outbreak. This is contributing to the overall decline trend across the country except in Zamfara and Katsina States, where the number of cases reported is still high,” the epi-update said.  

An estimated 72% of the affected are aged 5 years and above. The WHO also found males and females to be proportionally affected. The infected are being treated at specially designated health facilities that have cholera treatment center (CTC) support from Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF).