Cholera Epidemic Kills 600 In Nigeria

Voice of America, November 28, 2001

Health officials in Nigeria's Kano State say more than 600 people have died from cholera in the past month and the total is likely to rise.

Kano Health Commissioner Mansur Kabir told VOA that cholera fatalities are likely to rise to more than 700 because deaths in outlying areas will be slow to confirm. There are reports of one town in neighboring Jigawa state where as many as 200 people are already dead from the disease.

Health Commissioner Kabir says he himself contracted cholera while visiting patients but has been treated and is now fine. He says the disease has been spread by contaminated water used for drinking and preparing foods. The region surrounding Kano state has struggled with perennial water shortage problems.

Cholera is a bacterial infection of the intestines which can lead to a rapid loss of bodily fluids. Without treatment, a victim can die in few hours.

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