The Oyo State Government on Saturday in Ibadan called for more vigilance and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent a potential cholera outbreak in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, made the call during her visit to a private hospital in Ibadan where two persons with suspected cholera cases were receiving treatment.
She pointed out that cholera is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces of an infected person.
Ajetunmobi explained that cholera is highly infectious and can cause severe diarrhoea with severe dehydration, adding that it may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting and fever.
“The two suspected cases in Ibadan, which have been tracked down to a private facility, are male workers at a construction site at Lekki Peninsula in Lagos State,” she added
The commissioner, however, assured that there was no cause for alarm as the ministry and other partners were on top of the situation.
Ajetunmobi said the state government’s response efforts, through the ministry, were aimed at ensuring the state does not record casualties from the reported cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
“The response efforts include promotional jingles in English and Yoruba, running in different media houses; an immediate inauguration of the Cholera Technical Working Group; putting active isolation management centres in place; and sensitisation of the gatekeepers and other well-established community structures,” she added.
Ajetunmobi, therefore, appealed to all to be safety-conscious always drink water only from clean sources, and practise good personal hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water.
She warned that anyone with the listed symptoms should not indulge in self-medication but present themselves at the nearest healthcare facility immediately.
(NAN)