A fresh cholera outbreak has claimed the lives of at least 10 people in Ndibokote village, Ezza-Inyimagu, Agbaja Autonomous Community, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The outbreak, confirmed by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, was reported on Thursday. Ekuma revealed that over 20 other individuals have been hospitalized with suspected cholera infections.
The state government, in collaboration with the local government and health partners, has rushed affected individuals to three hospitals in the area: Sudan United Mission Hospital Onuenyim Agbaja, Sudan United Mission Hospital Izziogo, and Izziogo Health Centre.
The commissioner attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene practices in the community and urged residents to stop open defecation, maintain proper handwashing habits, cover their food, and drink clean water.
Chairman of Izzi LGA, Stephen Nwankpa, expressed gratitude to the state government for its swift intervention, noting that the prompt response helped save many lives.
A local resident, Stephen Nwankpuma, linked the outbreak to a recent burial in the community, where unhygienic food practices and the consumption of a dog caused the first reported cases.
He also highlighted the community’s lack of clean water, noting that the only functional borehole had stopped working, leaving residents to rely on contaminated ponds and streams, worsened by recent heavy rainfall.
Cholera, a bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, has been a recurring issue in Ebonyi State for decades.
