Flood: Nigerians Urged To Take Precautions Against Disease Outbreaks

With torrential rains sweeping through parts of Nigeria and flash floods displacing thousands, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that the current flooding is creating fertile ground for deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever.

The warning came after a fresh forecast from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Sokoto, Kaduna, Zamfara, and Yobe among states at significant risk of flash floods in July.

As floodwaters submerge communities and damage sanitation systems, residents are urged to stay vigilant and take preventive measures seriously.

“Flooding doesn’t just wash away homes and livelihoods; it also exposes families to dangerous infections. Contaminated water and stagnant pools are driving up the risk of waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases,” NCDC said.

Cholera, a fast-spreading and potentially deadly disease, has been reported in 34 states this year, with Zamfara accounting for nearly one-third of all the suspected cases.

The bacteria responsible for cholera spread easily in flood conditions, where clean drinking water becomes scarce.

Consequently, public health experts have urged communities to boil water, maintain hygiene and avoid open defecation.

In flood-hit and rain-soaked regions, stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to a resurgence in mosquito-borne illnesses such as yellow fever and dengue.

Confirmed cases of yellow fever have been recorded in six states: Abia, Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Rivers and the NCDC considers even a single confirmed case an outbreak. Meanwhile, dengue fever has been confirmed in Edo State, raising concerns about the spread of this painful viral illness.

Aedes mosquitoes spread both diseases, and experts have urged Nigerians to eliminate breeding sites and protect themselves using insecticide-treated nets and repellents.

However, NCDC said it has deployed rapid response teams, enhanced disease surveillance and distributed medical supplies to affected regions, adding that vaccination campaigns, especially for yellow fever, are being ramped up in high-risk areas in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).