Cholera Outbreak Reported on French Island, Similar to Lagos: Nearly 200 Cases Confirmed

The French government is facing criticism for not providing clean drinking water to stop a cholera outbreak in Mayotte, its territory in the Indian Ocean.

There’s been a report of a cholera outbreak on Mayotte, and efforts to control this serious disease are ongoing. The public health agency of France, SPF, said on Friday, June 21, 2024, that almost 200 people have caught cholera in Mayotte.

Cholera is a serious illness that causes diarrhea and is caused by eating or drinking things contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. It’s easy to catch in dirty conditions and can make people throw up and have muscle pains.

As of June 18, there were 193 reported cases of cholera. Most of these (172) got sick in Mayotte, while 21 got sick abroad in the nearby Comoros islands or in African countries.

Mayotte is part of France and is located near Africa in the Indian Ocean. The first case of cholera caught locally on the island, which has about 320,000 residents, was reported at the end of April.

Since the start of the outbreak, two people have died, including a three-year-old girl. The French authorities are being criticized for not making sure there’s enough clean water to drink to prevent cholera from spreading.

SPF has warned that the risk of catching cholera is especially high in poor areas where people don’t have access to clean water and good toilets.