Eleven persons have been hospitalised in Anambra State following the outbreak of cholera in Inoma community in Anambra West Local Government Area.

The state Ministry of Health has deployed a rapid response team to assess reported cases of a cholera outbreak in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Akabuike, in a statement issued in Awka, the state capital, by the state Ministry of Information, said: “The team was dispatched by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Akabuike.”

The team is led by the state Disease Surveillance Officer Adaora Ejikeme, accompanied by the State UNICEF Consultant, Didien Gbofemi.

The release stated: “The team was tasked to stem the spread as well as recommend measures at containing any replication.

“Eleven patients, five boys and six girls within the age bracket of one to 10years old, had since been admitted into a health facility in the area.”

The patients, it was gathered, showed symptoms of excessive stooling, vomiting, acute dehydration and malnutrition.

The statement further read: “As part of the intervention to control the outbreak, the team supplied antimicrobial medicines such as Doxycycline tablets, flagyl infusions, flagly tablets, ciprofloxacin tabs, ciprotabinfussions, ceptraxone injections, among others.

“They also gave out sets of water guard, needles and syringes and bags of water to the Inoma Health facility.”

“A preliminary report released by the Rapid Response Team, showed that the main source of drinking water for the community was a contaminated stream.” (THISDAY)