NIGER: CHOLERA OUTBREAK

UNCLAS NIAMEY 001051 SIPDIS AIDAC, SIPDIS ACCRA FOR USAID DAKAR FOR OFDA AF/W FOR BACHMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR NG XI XY SUBJECT: NIGER: CHOLERA OUTBREAK ¶1. NGOS ARE REPORTING OUTBREAKS OF CHOLERA IN SEVERAL AREAS OF NIGER FOLLOWING FLOODS IN THOSE AREAS. CASES OF CHOLERA HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN BIRNIN KONNI, DIFFA, MARADI, MADAOUA, AND ZINDER. THE FIRST CASES WERE REPORTED ON SEPTEMBER 11 AND THE NUMBER OF CASES, AS WELL AS PLACES WHERE CASES ARE OCCURRING, HAVE INCREASED SINCE THEN. ¶2. TO DATE, POST HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF 75 CHOLERA CASES AND FIVE DEATHS IN ZINDER TOWN, IN THE EASTERN PART OF NIGER. ZINDER SUFFERED FROM HEAVY FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINFALL ON SEPTEMBER ¶10. LOCAL AUTHORTIES IN ZINDER HAVE SET UP A SPECIAL CAMP OUTSIDE OF TOWN FOR THE TREATMENT AND QUARANTINE OF CHOLERA CASES. EVIDENTLY, ALL RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS OF THE TOWN HAVE REPORTED CHOLERA CASES. ALSO, THREE DEATHS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO CHOLERA IN A VILLAGE (DOLLE) LOCATED NEAR BIRNIN KONNI, IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF NIGER ON THE BORDER WITH NIGERIA. ¶3. THE LATEST REPORTS RECEIVED ON SEPTEMBER 18 ON THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK NOTE POSSIBLY THREE CHOLERA-RELATED DEATHS IN MARADI TOWN, IN THE CENTER OF SOUTHERN NIGER, 49 KILOMETERS FROM NIGERIA. FURTHER REPORTS ARE EXPECTED AS IT SEEMS THIS OUTBREAK IS GROWING IN IMPORTANCE AND SPREADING GEOGRAPHICALLY. THUS FAR, NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGER NOR THE LOCAL PRESS HAS MENTIONED THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK. HOWEVER, NGOS ARE WORKING WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS TO TREAT CHOLERA CASES AND TO CONTAIN THE FURTHER SPREAD OF THIS ENDEMIC DISEASE. POST WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY THIS SITUATION AND REPORT ACCORDINGLY. ALLEN