No fewer than 20 persons have died from outbreak of cholera in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, the state government has confirmed.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said about 171 cases had been reported in some communities in the local government area.

According to him, the outbreak of gastroenteritis suspected to be cholera broke out in the area on January 5 this year.

The commissioner said the local government area Rapid Response team and the state emergency response team had all risen to the task, adding that two treatment cenres have been opened in the area.

“The state emergency response team and the social mobilisation team are already on ground to assess and manage the situation.
Two treatment centres have already been established at Ebukuma and Okoli’ile to manage cases, and affected people are advised to assess the facilities,” he said.

Parker said boreholes would be sunk in the area as part of measures to tackle the spread.

He further appealed to the people not to panic, stressing that the situation was under control.