Gombe declares cholera outbreak in Billiri after two deaths, 74 treated
- Gombe State has declared a cholera outbreak in Kedo village, Todi Ward, Billiri LGA, after two deaths on October 4.
- Health Commissioner Adamu-Danladi Bojude said 74 patients were treated and discharged, with no one on admission.
- The state has gone seven days without a new case and could declare the outbreak over on October 24.
Gombe State has declared a cholera outbreak in Kedo village, Todi Ward, Billiri Local Government Area, after diarrhoea and vomiting led to two deaths on October 4.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adamu-Danladi Bojude, announced the declaration at a media briefing in Gombe on Wednesday. He said 74 people have been treated and sent home, and no patient is currently on admission.
For residents of Billiri and nearby communities, the practical message is simple: treatment is free. Bojude said anyone with symptoms should go to the nearest health facility immediately rather than wait, because cholera can kill within hours if it is not treated.
How the state responded
According to the commissioner, the government sent a Rapid Response Team to work with the local government health team. Patients were treated free of charge at the Primary Health Centre in Sheila.
Bojude said the state has now gone seven straight days without a new case, as of October 21. If no fresh case shows up by October 24, the tenth day, he said the outbreak will be declared over.
He also said an Incident Management System has been activated at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre to handle surveillance, find cases and coordinate the response.
Gombe has been running an annual cholera prevention plan since 2023, led by the Ministry of Health with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) and development partners. The plan covers more than 150 known cholera hotspots across the state's 11 local government areas. Bojude said it has cut outbreaks to a minimum, though cases can still appear in settlements not listed as hotspots.
He explained that cholera is caused by bacteria spread through food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, and urged residents to keep their food, bodies and surroundings clean.
"We are always ready to respond on time and control such cases within the shortest possible time," Bojude said, crediting the state's level of preparedness.
What happens next
Health officials will keep watching for new cases until October 24. If none is reported, the outbreak will be declared over. Until then, residents are advised to report any suspected case to a health facility at once, where treatment is free.
