Cholera Claims Another Life In Lagos

Posted by African Examiner Ayo Balogun, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, November 5th, 2013

microscope image of cholera bacteria

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

Cholera has claimed another life in Lagos State, Nigeria, despite government’s insistence that there are no more cases of cholera in the state.

Microscopic image of cholera bacteria

The recent case occurred in Yaba area of Lagos, where a couple ate the locally made African salad, popularly known as ‘Abasha.’ While the wife was infected with cholera, the husband remained hale and hearty.

African Examiner investigation revealed that the victim, one Blessing after eating Abasha, which was bought by her husband last Thursday evening woke up around 2.00am with severe stooling and vomiting.

The woman, who married in September, 2013 was rushed to a private hospital in the area and was later transferred to the Military Hospital in Yaba after her case became critical.

It was gathered that she was getting better and would have been discharged from the hospital yesterday when her condition suddenly changed. She was said to have stooled about four times before she gave up the ghost after the doctor changed her medication.

Another cholera victim in the same hospital where she died survived. At Onike in Yaba, two pupils of a primary school were said to have been infected with cholera as the deadly epidemic is spreading fast in Lagos.

Several cases of people stooling and vomiting were reported at the Meiran Primary Health Centre, PHC, in Agbado Oke-Odo, fuelling speculation that cholera has invaded the area.

At the weekend, Lagos Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said there were no more cases of cholera in the state as government had put machinery in motion to tackle the disease.

Idris said ongoing surveillance activities by his ministry has identified the consumption of a local salad called ‘Abasa’ and polluted well water as the common causes of cholera infection, stressing that the outcome of the investigation carried out on the local salad (Abasa) showed that the sample contained germs which could cause cholera, typhoid and other serious diseases.

“We still need to identify other sources and the cooperation of the public in this regard is of utmost importance. We as a government will continue to carry out our responsibilities to the people, however the people themselves have a greater role to play by maintaining good personal, environmental hygiene and sanitation at all times,” Idris said.

According to him, cholera infection spread through the eating or drinking of contaminated food and water, saying that the spread was further enhanced by very poor personal hygiene and sanitation practices.

“Cholera is very dangerous and kills within a short period of time if not treated properly. The death results from extensive loss of body fluid through diarrhea and vomiting. People who have died of it were observed to seek treatment very late and were brought to the hospitals in poor conditions,” he said.