Gombe Declares Cholera Outbreak in Billiri After Two Deaths

The Gombe State Government has declared a cholera outbreak in Kedo village, Todi Ward, Billiri Local Government Area, following two deaths recorded on October 4.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adamu-Danladi Bojude, disclosed this during a media briefing on Wednesday, stating that 74 patients had been treated and discharged, with no active admissions as of October 21.

Seven Days Without New Cases

Bojude said the government deployed a Rapid Response Team to support local health officials, investigate the outbreak and provide free treatment at the Primary Health Centre in Sheila.

He added that the state had recorded seven consecutive days without a new case and expressed hope that the outbreak would be declared over on October 24 if no additional infections were reported.

To coordinate the response, the government activated an Incident Management System at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen surveillance, case detection and containment efforts.

Residents Urged to Observe Hygiene

The commissioner explained that cholera spreads through food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria and can become fatal quickly without appropriate treatment.

He said the state had implemented annual cholera prevention measures since 2023, targeting more than 150 identified hotspots across its 11 local government areas in collaboration with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and development partners.

Bojude urged residents to maintain proper personal, food and environmental hygiene and report suspected cases to the nearest health facility immediately. He assured the public that treatment for suspected cholera cases would be provided free of charge.

Punch Newspapers