Nigerian authorities have confirmed at least 20 deaths and 30 hospitalized in a cholera outbreak declared in Cross River State, in the southeast of the country.
The director general of the state health system, Janet Ekpeyong, confirmed the provisional toll to the official Nigerian news agency, NAN, as well as the deployment of a special team to try to contain the outbreak.
The deceased belonged to a dozen communities in the state and are believed, according to local sources, to have been identified between Thursday and Saturday.
Ekpeyong said authorities have also begun taking the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak from spreading to other communities in the state, which is characterized by its population’s constant lack of access to clean water sources.
The containment team includes representatives from the World Health Organization, the Nigerian Red Cross and the official Water, Disinfection and Hygiene program.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
