Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe diarrhea that drains the body of its water. The number of cholera cases in Iraq has risen to 1,809 as the epidemic spread to the northern autonomous Kurdish region, said a health ministry statement.
Ministry spokesman Rifaq al-Araji said, "The governorates of Baghdad and Babil, south of the capital, were the worst affected with more than 500 cases each."
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine and is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
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The cholera outbreak has killed six people so far, including four in the Abu Ghraib region at the very beginning of the outbreak, before health authorities had set up a response plan.
Khalis Khadhr, spokesman for the regional ministry, said, "Two of the cases were people displaced from the most affected parts of central Iraq. The Kurdish-run governorates of Dohuk and Arbil host hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict from other parts of Iraq."
Health authorities have blamed the cholera outbreak mostly on the poor quality of water caused by the low level of the Euphrates.
Source: AFP
Health authorities have blamed the cholera outbreak mostly on the poor quality of water caused by the low level of the Euphrates.
Source: AFP
Antibiotics may be Beneficial in Moderate Cholera
In contrast to the WHO recommendations, some researchers advocate the use of antibiotics in moderate as well as severe cases of cholera.
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Containing Cholera: An InterviewCholera, as we know, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The mode of transmission of the disease is by consuming contaminated water. | Advertisement
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Cholera Outbreak in Iraq Has Infected as Many as 1,201 People: Health Ministry
Health Minister Adela Hmoud is holding consultations with the regional office of the WHO to enhance cooperation in responding to the cholera outbreak.
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