The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba, Lagos, has directed all health facilities and communities in the South– West geo-political zone to send samples of suspected cases of cholera and gastroenteritis (food poisoning) to its laboratories for analysis.
This is coming on the heels of a red alert by the Federal Government on Lagos, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, which share borders with Ogun State, where outbreak of the disorders has been officially confirmed, even as the Federal Government confirmed a total of 144 cases with five deaths with a case fatality rate of 3.55 per cent, according to a statement issued yesterday in Lagos.
The statement by the Institute’s Head, Emergency Preparedness and Response Research, EPR-RG, Dr. Stella Smith, noted that facilities had been repositioned to receive all samples sent to the Institute.
She explained that the analysis on the samples would be carried out purposely to confirm suspected cases of cholera in all reported cases of gastroenteritis, characterise all confirmed cases of cholera to determine the circulating strains as well as do sensitivity tests on all confirmed cases of cholera for effective treatment and also for rational use of antibiotics.
Smith, however, announced that the Director General of the Institute, Professor Innocent Ujah, directed that all tests on the samples should be carried out free of charge.
The intervention, she noted, was part of its contribution to the reduction of mortality and morbidity among the people, particularly the vulnerable group which are mostly, the less privileged, women and children and also aimed at achieving the objectives of the Millenniun Development Goals, MDGs.
Earlier, the Federal Government had warned states and the entire citizenry on the need for concerted efforts at preventing the spread of the disease.
The outbreak of the cholera disease was reported in four local government areas of Ogun State: Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda, on July 8, 2013.
“On receiving the report, the Federal Ministry of Health swiftly dispatched, same day, an eight-member team, comprising doctors, consultant epidemiologists, laboratory scientists and environmental health officers to contain the situation.
“The team donated essential medicines for the treatment of the disease to the Ogun State government which include Amoxycillin, Zinc sulphate, Paracetamol, Ciprofloxacin and Albendazole,” she said.
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