8 die of cholera in northern Nigeria: official

Eight people have died of cholera epidemic since May in central north Nigeria's Plateau State, a top health official said on Tuesday.

The outbreak of the diseases was due to workers' strike in the state, which led to scarcity of potable water, Ibrahim Gontur, the director in charge of Primary Healthcare and Disease Control told reporters in Jos, the state capital.

He said the state health authorities had already sent its rapid response team led by the state epidemiologist to the affected areas, with preposition drugs.

The health official blamed the epidemic on the heaps of refuse that littered the streets and many neighborhoods which served as breeding ground for vectors.

He said the ministry had put measures in place to contain the incidence and to reduce deaths, adding that cases of cholera outbreaks were usually rampant between March and September.

Gontur urged people to cook their food thoroughly and boil or treat their drinking water.

The director appealed to the population in most affected areas to observe proper hygienic measures and to go to hospital as soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear so that they can get correct and effective treatment.

Cholera is a highly contagious disease. Contamination can be oral or by drinking contaminated water and eating dirty food. Endi