20 die from Cholera outbreak in Ebonyi state

20 people have been confirmed dead from a Cholera outbreak in Ebonyi state. The state Director, Public Health and Disease Control, in the Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Achi, who made this known to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, said seven local government areas namely Ohaukwu, Izzi, Ezza North, Ishielu, Ebonyi, Abakaliki and Ohaozara have recorded the highest number of cases.

Dr Ashi said one student of the Ebonyi State University has died from the epidemic while 9 of them are in the hospital after contracting the disease.
15 students of the Girls High School, Azuinyiokwu were also affected by the disease and were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, where they were treated and discharged.

Dr Ashi said the outbreak of the disease was largely due to the villagers in the communities fetching and using water from a dirty pond after their community boreholes stopped working...

"Some of the community members have boreholes and when some of the boreholes breakdown, the people, rather than repair it, resort to pond water. Hawkers will display Suya along the road and flies perch on them and people patronize them without considering the health implication. In Abakaliki, most houses do not have toilet facilities and people defecate around the houses. This leads to disease outbreak because the same flies that perch on the faeces also perch on foods”. he said