Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, on Sunday, reported an outbreak of Cholera at Kirikiri medium security prison.
He confirmed 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis linked to cholera.
Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, spokesperson of the Lagos state ministry of health, quoted the commissioner in a statement as saying that urgent interventions have been taken at the prison.
According to the statement, while no new cholera-related deaths have been reported in the last 72 hours, the state government is intensifying measures to contain the outbreak.
“However, he reported that a small outbreak of 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis occurred at Kirikiri medium security prison, confirmed to be caused by cholera, adding that urgent medical and environmental intervention measures have been implemented with success,” the statement read.
The Commissioner noted ongoing low-grade community transmission, despite the decrease in new daily cases and fatalities in the state.
He urged the public to adhere to safety measures and seek prompt medical attention if symptoms develop.
“We were able to supply Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention, and other health consumables.
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“Additionally, the World Health Organisation has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals which have been delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.
“Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected, and there are ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the State,” Abayomi said.
Abayomi stated that the outbreak stemmed from unregulated street beverages and contaminated water sources.
He further mentioned that samples taken from popular street beverages, acquired by undercover environmental officers, indicated the presence of Vibrio cholera bacteria, the causative agent of cholera.
“All of the containers had no NAFDAC accreditation numbers, indicating they are small cottage backyard informal production units.
“Identifying the precise location of manufacture has proven difficult, and the directorate of environmental health is planning to seal any such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with the manufacture or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers,” he added.
