A fresh cholera outbreak in Gashua, Headquarters of Bade Local Government Area, Yobe State has claimed 13 lives.
A source at the Gashua General Hospital told the press that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease, making it 13 out of 160 cases reported in the last six days.
The source said the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the Yobe state government has deployed a Rapid Response Team to contain spread of the disease.
The General Manager Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mohammed Bukar, confirmed that the response team had embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.
Bukar added that aqua tablets were also distributed to houses while promotion of personal hygiene had been strengthened to curtail spread of the disease.
The general manager attributed the epidemic to poor hygiene, adding that water samples were collected from various sources within the communities and using the bacteriological test kit, it was discovered that some of the sources including private boreholes had contaminated water.
He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals were also prone to contamination.
“There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abused due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.
According to Bukar, five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive to water contamination have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.
