The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), on Tuesday, said the cholera outbreak that began in early May in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state has killed at least 74 people.
According to MSF, 7,850 suspected cases had been recorded across 14 local government areas as of June 7.
The government had earlier announced 27 deaths and 2,715 infections as of May 27. This rose within days to 37 deaths and over 3,000 cases.
MSF said the outbreak is straining an already fragile healthcare system in a region at the heart of a 17-year Islamist insurgency, mass displacement and poor water and sanitation, raising the risk of wider spread if containment falters.
It added that it has established a cholera treatment centre in Maiduguri to support the response, in collaboration with the state ministry of health.
“Every day, we see more people arriving with severe watery diarrhoea and dehydration, many of whom have travelled long distances to reach care,” said Bienfait Tombola, MSF project medical coordinator for the surge response in Maiduguri.
MSF further stated that it had treated 7,439 patients, averaging about 230 admissions per day, with more than 500 cases recorded on June 5 alone, the highest number admitted in a single day since the response began.
Cholera is a highly contagious diarrhoeal illness caused by contaminated food or water. Its symptoms include severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration, which can quickly become fatal if untreated.
Poor sanitation, open defecation, and reliance on unsafe water sources, such as contaminated reservoirs, have been identified as major drivers of outbreaks.
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