Cholera Outbreak In Syria Kills 29 People, Almost 340 Infected - Health Ministry

CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2022) The number of confirmed cholera cases in Syria reached 338 with 29 people dead, the country's health ministry said on Monday.

"The number of cholera cases confirmed by laboratory rapid tests has risen to 338. The number of deaths was 29 with 25 of them were reported in Aleppo province," the ministry said in a message.

According to the ministry, Aleppo province remains the a major cholera hotbed, with 230 confirmed cases, followed by Deir ez-Zur and Al Hasakah, as well as Latakia. Four cases of infection have also been reported in the capital city of Damascus, with no casualties, the ministry added.

The ministry added that most of the deaths were caused by late admission to medical facilities, as well as chronic diseases.

On September 21, the Kurdish autonomous administration, not recognized by Damascus, announced that 78 cases of cholera and 16 deaths were recorded in the region, while there are at least 2,867 suspected cholera cases, which are treated in the same way as cholera patients.

According to Syrian media reports, as part of the ongoing checks, cholera was found in samples taken from sewage and at an ice cube factory, which was closed after that.

This major cholera outbreak is the first in over a decade. On September 11, Syria's health ministry reported 15 confirmed cases of cholera in the province of Aleppo.