No fewer than 20 persons have so far been confirmed dead from the outbreak of cholera in Benue State.
This is even as the state director for Public Health, Dr Terna Kur in an interview disclosed that over 200 new cases have been confirmed in four local governments areas across the state.
He named the local governments to include Guma, Agatu, Gwer- west and Makurdi.
Leader of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) National Rapid Response team working in Benue State, Dr Ikechukwu Oradu who also confirmed this during his visit to the deputy governor, Engr.
Benson Abounu at the Government House in Makurdi, said investigations revealed that the affected communities lacked potable water and were drinking directly from the river.
Dr Oradu appealed for the drilling of boreholes and public toilets for the communities to stop open defecation as well as the provision of Rapid Diagnostic kits for testing of cholera in the state.
Responding, the state deputy governor, Engr Abounu said the Ministry of Health and Human Services has treated the first batch of those affected since the outbreak.
Abounu said that approval has been given for the construction of a world standard testing laboratory for Lassa fever, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the state.