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CHOLERA: IRAK 2007
Cholera - Iraq:
(Baghdad)
Date: Thu 22 Nov 2007
Source: Reuters [edited]
<http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSKAM24764720071122?sp=true>
Iraq is facing a health catastrophe in the capital Baghdad, with reports of cholera rising sharply over the past weeks to more than 80 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Thu 22 Nov 2007. Most of the new cases have been reported in the eastern part of Baghdad, especially in poor areas routinely deprived of water and other basic services, an official at the ministry said.
One cholera death was recorded in November [2007], in addition to another death in September [2007], said the official, who asked not to be named. "We have a catastrophe in Baghdad," she said.
In western Baghdad, 6 people at a government home for the disabled were confirmed to have the disease, she said. Another girl at the al-Hanan Institute for the Severely Disabled died from the disease.
The Health Ministry official blamed a lack of proper sanitation for the cholera cases at the institute.
The official said that 6 governmental hospitals suffer from unsafe water supplies, including Yarmouk, one of Baghdad's chief hospitals.
A 13 Nov 2007 report from the United Nations (UN) reported 22 deaths from cholera in 2007, and 4569 laboratory-confirmed cases, almost exclusively in northern Iraq. But the UN also warned that the illness is on the rise in Baghdad. It reported 49 laboratory-confirmed cases in the capital as of 11 Nov 2007.
[Byline: Aseel Kami]
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
The initial case of cholera in the Baghdad area was from 19 Sep 2007, more than a month after the Iraqi outbreak was 1st reported from Kirkuk in the north on 14 Aug 2007. Baghdad is the only area outside of the northern provinces that appears to have had cholera spreading, beginning about 2 weeks after the 1st cases were reported.
A map of Iraq showing the location of Baghdad can be found at http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/iraq.pdf Mod.LL