Cholera death toll reaches 47
2006-02-17 14:28
Nairobi - The death toll from a suspected cholera outbreak in southern Sudan has climbed to 47 with nearly 1 500 people ill, said United Nations officials on Friday.
They said, while only one confirmed cholera death had been reported, it was believed responsible for outbreaks of severe diarrhoea, a main symptom of the disease that had infected and killed the others.
They said that deaths and cholera symptoms among the ill were first reported in late January in Yei, where 26 people had died, and then spread to the southern Sudanese capital of Juba, where 21 had died.
UN children's Fund (Unicef) said: "The outbreak of acute diarrhoea and cholera in Juba continues to be alarming, with 21 deaths reported so far.
"The situation in Yei, where the outbreak began, is relatively stable, and the total number of reported deaths there and in surrounding villages is 26."
Heavily-polluted Nile
Health officials had warned of catastrophe if cholera spreads through Juba, a city of about 250 000 people that relied almost entirely on untreated water from the heavily-polluted Nile.
Unicef said that it and other agencies had put in place an emergency response to combat the illness by giving medical supplies to hospitals and clinics in the area, boosting and repairing water treatment facilities.
South Sudan's infrastructure was largely destroyed by a 21-year civil war that ended only last year and was prone to outbreaks of deadly disease.
Cholera is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease that thrives in conditions of poor hygiene and inadequate water supplies.
Cholera is generally caused by using dirty water for drinking and cooking. It leads to severe diarrhoea, dehydration and sometimes death.