No fewer than four people have been reported dead and 113 others hospitalised in fresh cholera outbreak in Bassa and Jos North local government areas of Plateau State.

A recent outbreak in Namu in Qua’an Pan local government area of the state killed more than 30 people with hundreds hospitalised.

It was reported by another new organisation (not ViewPointNigeria -DailyTimes) that three people died in Rukuba Bassa and one in Jos metropolis as a result of the epidemic. The case in Jos North involved a 61-year-old caterer who was said to have complained of stooling and vomiting, symptoms related to diarrhea on Sunday, taken to the hospital on Monday and died on Tuesday morning.

No fewer than four people have been reported dead and 113 others hospitalised in fresh cholera outbreak in Bassa and Jos North local government areas of Plateau State.

A recent outbreak in Namu in Qua’an Pan local government area of the state killed more than 30 people with hundreds hospitalised.

It was reported by another new organisation (not ViewPointNigeria -DailyTimes) that three people died in Rukuba Bassa and one in Jos metropolis as a result of the epidemic. The case in Jos North involved a 61-year-old caterer who was said to have complained of stooling and vomiting, symptoms related to diarrhea on Sunday, taken to the hospital on Monday and died on Tuesday morning.

It was further gathered that in the process of cooking food for the funeral, five other members of the family contacted the same disease and were admitted to the hospital.

Deputy Director, Epidemiology in the State Ministry of Health and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Raymond Juryit, who confirmed the incidents said that that of Bassa has been confirmed but that of Jos North was still going into the process of investigation.

He said the case in Bassa was professionally handled and that was responsible for the lesser number of deaths recorded, adding that it would have been worse if the cases were not handled by professionals.

For instance, Juryit said that one of the victims died in a chemist shop, while the other two arrived the hospital very late.

He said, “A woman was sick of diarrhea and was admitted in the hospital and she died the following day. In the course of preparing food for the funeral, some members of the family developed the same symptoms. We cannot conclude now that it is cholera because we have taken the samples and those with the symptoms have been admitted at Plateau Specialist Hospital. The samples were being analysed, but we cannot wait for the result before we start treating them. We are suspecting cholera and have put them on that routine, but the full confirmation will come with the results.”

He added that: “That of Rukuba in Bassa have been brought under control and there is no danger in that place now. I am happy the way it was handled because it was done professionally. If people report to hospital, this can be treated because it is a simple disease. It takes just replacing the fluids and electrolytes that the patient has lost in quick time and in the eight quantity.”

He advised people to observe simple hygiene by washing their hands before eating and keeping their environments clean.

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Cholera Outbreak: 4 die and 113 hospitalised in Jos North and Bassa