Oyo government issues health alert over suspected cholera cases

The Oyo State Government has called for vigilance and adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of a possible cholera outbreak in the state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dọtun Oyelade, cited the Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, as having given the charge during her visit to a private hospital in Ibadan, where two suspected cases of cholera were receiving treatment.

Mrs Ajetunmobi noted that cholera is a bacterial infection that is transmitted by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.

He explained that cholera is highly infectious and can cause severe acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration, adding that it can be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting and fever.

The health commissioner described the two suspected cases in Ibadan, who had been traced to a private facility in the state, as male workers working at a construction site in the Lekki Peninsula of Lagos State.

He noted that there is no cause for alarm as the ministry and other partners are aware of the situation.

Mrs. Oluwaserimi reiterated the response efforts of the state government to ensure that the state records no casualties from the cholera outbreak in Lagos State.

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According to her, “response efforts include the deployment of LGA DSNO, promotional jingles in English and Yoruba disseminated in different media outlets; immediate inauguration of the Technical Working Group on Cholera; put IDC Olodo in active mode for isolation and management; reach out to all our surveillance guards at LGA level to intensify surveillance activities; republish the cholera case definition on the community informant platform for updates, awareness and sensitization of guardians and other well-established community structures.”

He called on residents to be safety conscious and always drink water only from clean sources, and practice good personal hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water.

The commissioner urged residents with the above-mentioned symptoms not to self-medicate and immediately go to the nearest health center.