The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has urged staff and students to maintain high personal hygiene practices and frequent washing of hands.
This is part of the institution’s medical advisory following recent reports of a possible outbreak of cholera across the state.
The management urged members of the school’s community to play their part in preventing the spread of the disease by keeping a clean environment and ensuring they drink clean and safe drinking water and food.
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), the school noted that cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the consumption of food or water infected with the bacterium vibrio cholerae.
The advisory added: “It can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea and the severe forms of the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.
“Cholera can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration solution (ORS). The WHO/UNICEF ORS standard sachet is dissolved in 1 litre of clean water. Adult patients may require up to 6 litres of ORS to treat moderate dehydration on the first day.”
Meanwhile, Ikeja Record reported on Wednesday that the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has informed residents that it has precautionary measures in place to curb the spread of the outbreak.
LASUTH noted that its healthcare workers as well as other stakeholders have already been put on notice.