The Iraqi health ministry recorded an outbreak of cholera in the province of Sulaymaniyah, located in the north of the country. The spokesman for the ministry, Saif al-Badr said this, the Rudaw TV channel reported on Monday.
According to him, there are 13 cases in Iraq, 10 of which have been recorded in the province of Sulaymaniyah. However, al-Badr noted that there are probably more sick people than diagnosed cases, as the medical authorities have just now started examining patients with symptoms of cholera.
The last major cholera outbreak in Iraq was in 2015. At that time, a shortage of clean drinking water led to more than two thousand people being infected with cholera. In 2007, there was a cholera epidemic in Iraq. According to the UN, the number of cases was about seven thousand, and ten people died.
Cholera is an acute infection caused by the Vibrio cholerae microorganism. The disease is characterized by severe diarrhea, which causes dehydration and vascular failure. Infection usually occurs through contaminated water or seafood. Cholera outbreaks regularly occur in the least developed countries in Asia and Africa, primarily due to the lack of consistent access to properly processed drinking water for a large portion of the population.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: ErikaWittlieb\Pixabay
Based on materials from TASS