THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has announced a total of 1,336 suspected cases of cholera, including 79 deaths, so far in 2023 (between January to March).
The NCDC disclosed this in its latest cholera situation epidemiological report obtained by News Point Nigeria on Monday.
The report revealed that 12 states across 43 local government areas reported the suspected cases, with a case fatality ratio of 5.9 per cent.
The 12 states reporting cases in the country are Abia, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria.
The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
According to the World Health Organisation, at least 24 countries continue to report cholera cases.
Regarding historical transmission patterns and seasonality, large parts of the world are currently in low or inter-epidemic transmission periods, therefore this number could increase in the months to come.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more often in areas with poor sanitation.
