Two killed in fresh outbreak of diarrhoea in Lagos

Acute diarrhoea has killed two people in different local government areas of Lagos state.

Jide Idris, commissioner for health, and Steve Ayorinde, his information counterpart, confirmed this at a joint news conference in Lagos.

Idris said the upsurge of acute diarrhoea cases was the aftermath of flooding experienced by residents in some parts of the state.

WHAT IS DIARRHOEA?

• Diarrhoea is a communicable disease that occurs as a result of loose or liquid bowel movements, resulting in dehydration due to fluid loss.
• The symptoms include loss of the normal stretchiness of the skin and irritable behaviour. This can progress to decreased urination, loss of skin colour, a fast heart rate, and a decrease in responsiveness as it becomes more severe.
• It is commonly caused by the infection of the intestines, acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by stool, or directly from another person who is infected.

According to Idris, six of the cases were reported in Shomolu, two in Oshodi-Isolo and 14 in Surulere council areas.

He said the state government had put some measures in place to check the spread of the disease.

The commissioner, however, appealed to Lagos residents to imbibe proper hygiene including, hand-washing, washing of fruits and vegetables before eating.

He also advised them to boil water from unsafe sources before drinking and always ensure that they cover their foods and water all the time.

Ayorinde appealed to the mass media to help sensitise the residents, especially the young ones, on the danger of playing inside the flood water.

He also said the state government would roll out a new set of sensitisation on the social media in addition to the ones already being aired on the conventional media.

Earlier in the year, three students of Queens’ College, Lagos, were killed in an outbreak of the disease in the school.

An investigation by TheCable revealed that contamination of the school’s water source led to the deaths of the teenagers.