The Commissioner for Health of the State, Dr. Aishatu Anka, revealed that cholera has claimed 40 lives out of 1188 cases in three local government areas of the state.
She made this known during the week as she distributed medical supplies at the Shagari Cholera Treatment Centre in Gusau.
She said that the disease was prevalent in Gusau Anka, Bakura, and Bukkuyum local government areas, while adding that the State Governor, Dauda Lawan, had visited some of the patients at Anka General Hospital and that she was also there to assess their condition and treatment.
The commissioner also confirmed that there were 50 cases of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that affects the throat and nose, with two fatalities.
She noted that an investigation was underway to determine the extent of the outbreak.
She thanked the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention for setting up a state centre at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau.
She urged the communities to keep their environment clean and practice effective personal hygiene. She also advised the public to drink only clean water to prevent further spread of the disease.