Data from: Descriptive epidemiology of the 2018 cholera outbreak in Nigeria: implications for the global roadmap strategies

Introduction: The 2018 cholera outbreak in Nigeria indicates that the
disease remains an enormous public health threat. This paper, therefore,
provides an epidemiological description of the outbreak, with a view to
provide current evidence for public health planning and interventions
towards cholera elimination in the country. Methods/Principal Findings:
This was a retrospective analysis of surveillance data from January 1st to
November 19th, 2018. A cholera case was defined as an individual aged 2
years or older with acute watery diarrhoea, and severe dehydration or
dying from acute watery diarrhoea. Descriptive analyses were performed in
terms of person, time and place. Overall, there were 43,996 cases with an
attack rate (AR) of 127.43/100,000 population, and 836 deaths with a case
fatality rate (CFR) of 1.90%. Individuals aged 15 years or older (47.76%)
recorded the highest number of cases, while the proportion of males
(49.00%) and females (51.00%) was nearly equal. The outbreak was
characterised by four distinct epidemic waves, with higher records of
deaths towards the end of the outbreak (296 and 295 deaths in the third
and fourth waves, respectively). States from the north-west and north-east
regions reported the highest ARs, while those from the north-central
region reported the highest CFRs. Conclusion: The distribution of the 2018
cholera outbreak in Nigeria indicates an elevated burden, especially in
the northern part of the country, and the influence of diverse and
interrelated drivers; thus, underlining the need to adopt a multi-sectoral
approach to cholera prevention and control in the country as outlined in
the Global Roadmap strategies.