Gombe treats 74 cholera patients, declares outbreak

The Gombe State Government has confirmed a cholera outbreak in Kedo village, Todi Ward, Billiri Local Government Area, after diarrhoea and vomiting reportedly killed two people on October 4, 2026.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adamu-Danladi Bojude, announced this during a media briefing in Gombe on Wednesday, saying 74 patients had received treatment and been discharged, with no one remaining in hospital.

Bojude said the government quickly deployed a Rapid Response Team to work with local health officials to investigate the outbreak and provide free treatment at the Primary Health Centre in Sheila.

“Since then, 74 persons were treated and discharged, and there is nobody currently on admission,” the commissioner said.

He reported that the state had gone seven consecutive days without recording a new case as of October 21. According to him, the outbreak could be declared over on October 24 if no further infections were detected.

“Today, being October 21, is day seven of zero cases reported. If by day 10, October 24, no case is reported, then this particular outbreak will be declared over,” he said.

The commissioner explained that Gombe had strengthened its cholera prevention efforts since 2023 through an annual plan coordinated by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, and other development partners.

He said the programme targets more than 150 identified cholera hotspots across the state’s 11 local government areas, helping to reduce the frequency of outbreaks.

Bojude stressed that early preparation was essential to controlling outbreaks and preventing the disease from spreading to other communities.

“The good thing about being prepared is that we are always ready to respond on time and control such cases within the shortest possible time,” he said.

He explained that cholera is a bacterial disease caused by Vibrio cholerae and is commonly spread through contaminated food or water. He warned that the infection could become fatal within hours if patients did not receive proper treatment promptly.

As part of the response, the government activated an Incident Management System at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, PHEOC, to coordinate disease surveillance, identify suspected cases and manage the outbreak.

“In the light of the above, I hereby declare the outbreak of cholera in Todi Ward of Billiri LGA. I have activated an Incident Management System at the PHEOC with full responsibilities for surveillance and effective response aimed at controlling the outbreak,” he said.

The commissioner urged residents to observe proper food hygiene, maintain personal and environmental cleanliness, and report suspected cholera cases to the nearest health facility without delay.

He also assured the public that treatment for suspected cases would be provided free of charge and called on residents to cooperate with health workers to prevent further transmission.