Plateau State Government has confirmed 441 suspected cases of cholera and 14 deaths across four local government areas since the outbreak of the disease began in June, saying it has intensified emergency response measures to contain further spread.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, disclosed this on Monday in Jos while briefing journalists on the state’s response to the outbreak.
He said 20 cases had tested positive through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), while six had been laboratory confirmed through stool culture, with infections recorded in Mangu, Jos North, Jos South and Barkin Ladi local government areas.
According to the commissioner, the outbreak has affected 25 wards and more than 100 settlements across the state, while only three patients remain on admission, all in Jos North Local Government Area.
Ba’amlong said the outbreak was first detected in Mangu Local Government Area in early June, prompting the Ministry of Health to activate a coordinated multi-sectoral emergency response in collaboration with local government councils, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and other development partners.
Giving a breakdown of the cases, he said Mangu, the initial epicentre, recorded 53 suspected cases, 10 RDT-positive cases, four laboratory-confirmed cases and 10 deaths, adding that there were currently no active cases in the council as the last case was reported on July 22.
He said Jos North had emerged as the current hotspot with 277 suspected cases, seven RDT-positive cases, one laboratory-confirmed case and four deaths.
According to him, Jos South recorded one laboratory-confirmed case, which had been successfully treated and discharged without any fatality, while Barkin Ladi had 23 suspected cases, two RDT-positive cases and no recorded death.
While noting that transmission had been interrupted in Mangu, the commissioner warned that the disease was still spreading in Jos North, Jos South and Barkin Ladi, underscoring the need for sustained surveillance and community participation.
“The epidemiological situation indicates that although transmission has been interrupted in Mangu Local Government Area, cholera continues to spread across other affected LGAs.
“The outbreak demonstrates continued geographic expansion, sustained community transmission, preventable loss of lives due to delayed presentation to health facilities, and the need for sustained surveillance and community participation,” he said.
Ba’amlong attributed many of the fatalities to late presentation at health facilities and urged residents experiencing sudden watery diarrhoea or vomiting to seek immediate medical attention instead of resorting to self-medication.
He said the state government had intensified active case searches, expanded community surveillance, strengthened disease reporting and ensured the continuous supply of Oral Rehydration Salts, intravenous fluids, antibiotics and other essential medical commodities to affected facilities.
The commissioner added that additional Oral Rehydration Points would be established in Jos North, while healthcare workers in Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Jos North were undergoing further training with support from WHO and UNICEF to strengthen case management and early detection.
On public awareness, he said the government had scaled up sensitisation through radio, television and community outreach programmes, while traditional rulers, religious leaders and other community influencers had been mobilised to promote hygiene practices.
He also said water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, including household water treatment, environmental sanitation campaigns, monitoring of contaminated water sources and promotion of safe water storage, had been intensified.
Ba’amlong urged residents to drink only boiled, chlorinated or treated water, wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water, maintain proper sanitation, avoid open defecation and promptly report suspected cases to the nearest health facility.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening surveillance, laboratory services, case management and public health interventions until the outbreak is fully contained.
