According to the County Health Director, Kon Pel, the new cases were detected in Ayai and Tiar-Aliet payams. He said the outbreak resurfaced despite a massive vaccination campaign conducted earlier this year.
Pel attributed the re-emergence of the disease to poor sanitation and flooding in the affected areas, which have forced residents to practice open defecation.
“The cause of this new outbreak is mainly poor hygiene, especially as many places are flooded. People are defecating in the open, and this makes it easier for the disease to spread,” he explained.
He added that the infections are suspected to have originated from Gogrial East County in neighbouring Warrap State, where residents of both communities frequently mingle during market days.
“This outbreak seems to have come from Gogrial East through trade and people’s movement,” Pel said. “So far, five people have died due to poor hygiene conditions, especially in Tiar-Aliet, which borders Gogrial West County.”
The county health department has deployed rapid response teams to the affected areas to contain the spread. “We have already sent teams to carry out vaccinations at the community level, and we are preparing for a massive household vaccination campaign in the two payams,” Pel noted.
He urged residents to adopt safer hygiene practices, including the proper disposal of human waste. “I want to tell our people to at least bury their waste instead of leaving it in the open. Cholera is a killer disease; it doesn’t take long once you catch it,” he warned.
Pel said more awareness campaigns will be launched across the county to educate the public about the importance of maintaining hygiene and boiling drinking water.
Cholera is a highly contagious and deadly disease that causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Health experts urge residents to maintain cleanliness, use latrines, and avoid consuming unboiled or unsafe water to prevent infection.
