Posted on July - 22 - 2011
The cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to intensify and has spread to the neighbouring Republic of Congo as well, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has reported, as international efforts step up to combat the disease.
At least 3,896 cases have been reported in the DRC since the outbreak began there in March, and in the Republic of Congo, where the outbreak was first noted last month, some 181 cases are suspected.
As of 20 July, 265 people in the DRC have died while six people have lost their lives in the Republic of Congo, according to an update issued by WHO on Friday. Read more…
Posted on June - 27 - 2011
Evidence “strongly suggests” that a UN peacekeeping mission brought a cholera strain to Haiti that has killed thousands of people, according to a study by a team of epidemiologists and physicians.
The study is the strongest argument yet that newly arrived Nepalese peacekeepers at a base near the town of Mirebalais brought with them the cholera, which spread through the waterways of the Artibonite region and elsewhere in the Caribbean country.
The disease has killed more than 5,500 people and affected more than 363,000 others since it was discovered in October, according to the Haitian government. Read more…
Posted on August - 14 - 2010
A senior U.S. aid official said he was optimistic a serious cholera outbreak could be averted in flood-hit Pakistan after emergency steps taken by international and Pakistani relief groups.
At least one case of cholera was confirmed and several more were suspected, said Mark Ward, acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s office for foreign disaster assistance. Epic floods have affected more than 14 million people in Pakistan.
“The good news is that we know where it is and we can get resources in there to help because of the disease early warning system,” said Ward, referring to a system set up by the World Health Organization to quickly detect any cases of cholera or other waterborne illnesses common in flooding. Read more…
