ACOMIN Warns against Upsurge in Malaria Disease As Rain Begins

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) has urged Nigerians to be prepared to manage the environment so as to guard against increase in malaria prevalence and water borne diseases as the rainy season approaches.

National Coordinator of ACOMIN, Mr. Ayo Ipimoye, said Nigerians should be careful in managing the environment and to ensure that they don’t allow stagnant waters to exist so as to increase the population of mosquitoes as well as water borne disease.

Ipimoye, who gave the advice in a report presented at the first quarterly assessment meeting of the group in Abuja, also cautioned the public against swallowing food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria.

He said: “And now that the rains are here: Remember that there are water and mosquito borne diseases that we need to be careful of. When we do not manage our environment well, and allow stagnant waters to exist, the population of mosquitoes increases and mosquito borne diseases as well as water borne diseases become prevalent.

“We should understand that with rains and run-off water, it is easy for pollutants to find their way into drinking water sources. If the pollutants are not effectively eliminated by water treatment processes, people who drink the water easily become ill.

“It is essential to be sure that the sources of water that we drink and use are clean and treated. If not treated by government agencies, please treat your own water by boiling, filtering and chemical treatment.”

Ipimoye explained that diseases like Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

He said that people can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria, adding that the infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

“Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis.

According to him, Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.

“It is usually spread through contaminated food or water. Once Salmonella Typhi bacteria are ingested, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream.

Filariasis: Filariasis is an infectious tropical disease caused by any one of several thread-like parasitic roundworms.

“The two species of worms most often associated with this disease are Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi,” he said.

Speaking further on malaria disease, the coordinator said the larval form of the parasite transmits the disease to humans by the bite of a mosquito.

According to him, “In the early stages of the infection, the patient characteristically complains of fever, chills, headaches and skin lesions. Note, the disease spreads from person to person by mosquito bites.

“When a mosquito bites a person who has lymphatic filariasis, microscopic worms circulating in the person’s blood enter and infect the mosquito.

“Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Most people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.”