The current cholera outbreak is a disturbing reminder that Nigeria is still not completely free of this avoidable illness. Cholera is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting Nigerians, and it is spreading in unsanitary locations.

Cholera is a severe sickness that causes diarrhea. It is caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People contract it by drinking or eating contaminated water or food. If not treated immediately, cholera can result in severe dehydration.

While cholera epidemics are manageable, they can represent a serious public health risk, especially in communities with poor access to clean water and sanitation.

Below are six things you need to know about the current cholera outbreak:

1. Cholera is a life-threatening infectious illness caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. It is mainly caused by consuming food or drinking water contaminated with excrement from an infected individual. Raw vegetables or seafood, unwashed fruit, tap water, and street food are all common causes of infection. Cholera can also spread through direct human-to-human contact.

2. Cholera spreads most quickly in densely populated areas with inadequate hygiene and sanitation standards and restricted access to clean water and toilets. This comprises refugee and internally displaced person camps, informal settlements, and peri-urban slum regions that lack essential infrastructure.

3. Symptoms might vary, but they typically include nausea, severe acute watery diarrhea, and vomiting. Other symptoms include low blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, muscular cramps, and an elevated heart rate. Initial symptoms might emerge within 12 hours or up to five days following infection. Most people have fairly mild symptoms, but they can possibly infect others. Other people rapidly get extremely dehydrated, losing up to 15 liters of water every day.

4. Most instances of cholera may be treated with oral rehydration salts. A packet of ORS, a salt-sugar combination, is diluted in one liter of filtered water and taken up to six times per day (for adults). Such treatment may frequently be continued at home and does not require hospitalization.

5. In extreme situations, without effective care, cholera can swiftly cause shock and kill a patient within hours. In these circumstances, patients may require immediate intravenous fluid replacement and antibiotic therapy.

6. The greatest way to avoid cholera is to provide clean drinking water and improve hygiene and sanitation standards. (Daily Sun)

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