Why flood may worsen cholera outbreak in communities, experts warn

As Nigeria is gripped by a fast-spreading cholera outbreak, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirming the disease in 115 Local Government Areas, across 32 states, physicians and researchers have urged the federal and state governments to provide safe drinking water to communities prone to flooding to curb further transmission of the infection.

The experts also want the FG to holistically address flooding in communities, warning that such a deluge could worsen the outbreak.

Establishing a link between flooding and cholera outbreak, a Medical Researcher, Dr Dan Onwujekwe, said communities affected by perennial flooding in the country may witness an outbreak of acute diarrhoeal diseases if the government fails to provide them with alternative sources of clean and safe water to drink.

Speaking in an interview with According Healthwise, the physician warned that an outbreak of cholera in flood-prone communities and states will fuel the number of casualties recorded so far from the outbreak.

Cholera, according to the experts, is a waterborne disease and the risk of transmission is higher where there is poor sanitation and disruption of potable water supply.

The researcher noted that cholera is always a major threat when the country experiences severe flooding.

Onwujekwe, who is a retired Chief Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba Lagos, recalled such outbreaks happening in the past and urged the government to avoid a repeat of the incident.

Cholera outbreaks, based on records, have been a reoccurring issue in Nigeria.

The World Health Organisation, Africa Region, noted that Nigeria experiences an increase in the number of cholera cases during the rainy season every year.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Surveillance and National Incident Manager, NCDC, Dr Muntari Hassan, recently announced that 54 deaths and 1,579 suspected cases have been documented since the beginning of the year.

The centre in its latest epidemiological report revealed that Nigeria has recorded a case-fatality ratio of 1.9% as of the beginning of June 2024.

Based on this, experts warn that Nigeria is at high risk for increased cholera transmission and impact due to the rainy season.

Further speaking on this, Onwujekwe explained that there was likely to be a surge in the outbreak of acute diarrhoeal diseases in the affected communities as the rains intensified.

“The major dangerous one of which is cholera, we must prepare for it. We are already having cases even before the flooding occurred.

“But it is just going to get worse with flooding. So, we must show preparedness, we must increase our preparedness, and show evidence to tackle it.

“The government should provide flood victims with alternative sources of protected and safe water to drink”, he maintained.

The current cholera outbreak has notably affected Lagos, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, and Nasarawa states.

However, Bayelsa State is the most impacted, accounting for 50 per cent of all suspected cases.

The primary cause has been linked to the consumption of contaminated water and inadequate sanitation, exacerbated by the onset of the rainy season, which often leads to increased cholera cases due to flooding and compromised water sources.

Continuing, Onwujekwe said there is a need to alert the public and also raise awareness of the inherent dangers of recording cholera outbreaks amid the flooding.

“The outbreak of cholera is what worries me most because sources of water for drinking will be compromised.

“We need to alert people to know that an outbreak of cholera is likely, due to the flooding. We need to be hammering on it so that everybody will know what to do to prevent cholera or what to do when they see such cases.

“There is a need to emphasize this because cholera is very deadly.

“It is a disease that is said to make physicians humble because they can easily get overwhelmed even though they are prepared to tackle it.

“We need to do a lot more now because it is going to happen, it is likely to spread.”

The researcher noted that awareness and preparation must be accorded a priority.

“In all those affected communities, we must do something to make sure that they have sources of water that are reliable. It is not rocket science. It can be done”, he said.