Fresh Cholera Outbreak Kills Six in Nigeria

A fresh cholera outbreak in northern Nigeria has killed at least six people, raising the overall toll in the country to more than over 200 in recent months, officials said Friday.

The latest outbreak was recorded in the Kebbi state town of Koko where at least 182 cholera cases were recorded in the past two weeks, the state's health commissioner Shehu Sambawa said.

Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine and is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

"We have recorded six deaths from cholera in Koko in the past two weeks that infected 182 people," Sambawa said.

Around 70 people have died of cholera in under two months in the state.

Nigeria's senate on Thursday launched an investigation into the recurring cholera epidemics, stating that 234 people have died in 15 of the country's 36 states so far this year, according to local media.

Typhoid and Paratyphoid Enteric Fevers
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Cholera, an intestinal infection, is transmitted by water soiled by human waste. The disease leads to diarrhoea, dehydration and death if untreated.

In Nigeria, cholera outbreaks occur regularly during the rainy season, when downpours wash contaminants into wells used by families.

Water Borne Diseases
Waterborne diseases are communicable diseases caused by diseases causing microorganisms in contaminated water. It is more prevalent during floods and in tsunami affected areas.

The rainy season typically runs from April to September.

Source-AFP

Waterborne Disease
Interactive section of Medindia gives details regarding waterborne disease