Mrs Assumpta Ilodibe, a Chief Nursing Officer at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka, says Nigerians to be mindful of how they patronise food vendors to avoid contracting cholera.

Ilodibe made the call following reports of cholera breakout in some parts of the country.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)in Awka on Sunday, Ilodibe
said the cholera could be fatal if medical intervention was delayed or not properly handled.

She said the bacteria responsible for cholera produced a toxin in the small intestines which made the body to secrete too much water leading to diarrhea and rapid loss of fluid and salt.

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She said it was important to prevention contracting cholera through dedicated hygiene, safe drinking water and being extra careful while eating from food vendors.

Ilodibe advised that foodstuff bought from the markets needed to be washed well with salt before consumption.

The medical expert advised people to ensure they washed their toilets in and out with alcohol based detergents at least three times a week.

Ilodibe said that parents should ensure their children were trained to imbibe healthy living principles of proper hand washing after contacts with people and public places.

She said that hand washing under running water with soap after visiting the toilets or after returning from school or public places would prevent lots of communicable diseases.

Ilodibe advised against eating raw meat or fish and urged people to always wash their nuts, fruits, vegetables with clean water and salt before eating.

“Water for cooking should be very clean and upgraded personal hygiene should always be sustained,” she advised.

BRANDPOWER reports that on June 9, the Lagos State Government declared a cholera outbreak as reported by the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) on June 12. Some of the patients were said to have patronised food vendors commonly referred to as “Mama Put”

According to the EOC, 324 suspected cholera cases have been reported in the state, including 15 people who died.