Dr. Nimkong Ndam, the Commissioner for Health in Plateau, has said that the state has 21 reported cases of cholera and two deaths from the disease in the state.
Ndam explained in an interview on in Jos on Thursday that 30 suspected cases were tested, and 17 persons were confirmed to have cholera from the rapid diagnostic test, while four persons were confirmed to have cholera by the culture test, amounting to 21 cases.
He added that the confirmed cases had been treated and discharged already.
The commissioner said that cholera is an acute diarrhoea infection, caused by a bacterium called Vibro cholera, which is usually found in food or water contaminated by faeces (faecoral) and when such is ingested, causes cholera.
He called on the public to ensure that they always wash their fruits and vegetables thoroughly and also boil their drinking water, to kill the organism that causes cholera.
He advised people to imbibe the act of hand washing and sanitising their hands where water is not available, to avoid the spread of the disease.
Ndam appealed to the public to always maintain good sanitation and shun indiscriminate dumping of waste.
“This act causes the waste to be washed into various water sources and bodies, especially, with the rains setting in, “ he said.
