This special edition of the weekly update highlights emerging threats to public health in the Niger Delta with a focus on the potential outbreak of cholera as a result of widespread flooding. The recent flooding has caused widespread contamination of water sources in the Niger Delta. Accordingly, this has increased the risk of outbreak of water-borne diseases in the region, especially cholera which usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera is a severe diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae Bacterium. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, and dehydration. It is an epidemic-prone infectious disease with significant public health consequences. According to epidemiological data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), as at September 2022, a total of 5451 cholera cases including 149 deaths have been reported across 31 states in Nigeria including eight out of the nine states in the Niger Delta. According to NCDC’s Cholera Situation Report, as of September 4, 2022, more than 22% of all suspected cases were reported in the Niger Delta.
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