Jos –  Mr Jacob Wongdem, the Permanent Secretary in the Plateau State Ministry of Health, has announced the outbreak of cholera in some parts of the state.

Wongdem, who earlier denied the outbreak of the disease,  said  in Jos on Thursday that it had killed 10 people.

He added that 370 people had also been infected by the disease, reported in Jos South, Jos North, Mangu, Shendam, Barkin Ladi and Pankshin local government areas.

“It is a bad situation, but the ministry is already doing everything to control and stem the ailment,” the permanent secretary said.

He attributed the outbreak to poor sanitary conditions and the consumption of contaminated fruits and unwashed vegetables.

“The state government is worried that lives have been lost in the unfortunate cholera outbreak. We have dispatched surveillance teams to every nook and cranny of the state to contain the outbreak.

“Already, the government has provided drugs and infusion fluids for patients which have been distributed to all health centres in the 17 local government areas of the state.

“The epidemiology unit of the health ministry is also responding to the situation by way of treatment and investigations,” he said.

Wongdem regretted the spread of the disease which he said was transmissible and advised the public to improve on their personal hygiene and imbibe toilet etiquette to prevent infection.

“With the disease around us, I expect people to ensure that their hands are thoroughly washed by using soap or ashes after using the toilet and to ensure that their toilets are always kept clean and disinfected.

“Relations of victims with cholera should ensure that they always wash their hands thoroughly after attending to the victims to avoid being infected,” he added.

The garments of victims should also be boiled and washed all the time, he further advised.

Wongdem also advised the public to be mindful of their sources of water and ensure that only water from trusted sources was consumed.

He cautioned the public against indiscriminate eating of fruits and vegetables, saying that such items must thoroughly be washed first.

“We are now in the mango season and most people just eat it without washing. People should be health-conscious by ensuring that all fruits and vegetables are properly washed in salted water or vinegar before eating,” he added. (NAN)

-Vanguard

Posted by admin on Jul 1 2011. Filed under Headlines, Plateau, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry