Nigeria: Cholera claims 20 in displaced persons' camps

By Timothy Olarewaju

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA)

At least 20 people have been confirmed killed in a cholera outbreak at displaced persons’ camps in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, the country's center for disease control said on Tuesday.

The outbreak currently affects six areas of the state, including the Muna and Lawanti displaced persons’ camps near Maiduguri, Borno’s capital city.

“As of Sept. 2, 2017, 319 suspected cases and 20 deaths had been reported in the state,” said the center.

International humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which is helping to manage the outbreak, said on Sunday that over 200 patients had been admitted, with seven dead.

According to the center, while cholera is endemic in Nigeria, there is usually a rise in the number of cases during the rainy season, usually between April and September.

The center called on citizens to pay attention to personal hygiene and report symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and weakness to the nearest health facilities.

Nearly 3 million people have been displaced by seven years of violence in Nigeria’s northeast region provoked by the terrorist group Boko Haram, with more than half living refuge at camps provided by the government and humanitarian agencies.