15,823 suspected cases of Cholera have been reported, including 68 deaths, between August 25 and October 8, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The situation is especially dire in Aleppo province, which accounts for 800 of all confirmed cases to date, according to the latest figures provided by the Syrian Health Ministry.
The first cholera cases were detected in Aleppo back in August and an outbreak was declared one month later. By November, the disease already spread to 14 of Syria’s provinces and neighbouring Lebanon. On October 25, UN Operations and Advocacy Division Director Reena Ghelani said there were 24,000 suspected cases of cholera in Syria and at least 80 cholera-related deaths.
Syrian media reported in October that the source of cholera was believed to be linked to unsafe drinking water and sewage systems, and the use of unclean water for crop irrigation.
Cholera is an acute bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food or water whose symptoms include acute diarrhoea. A person can potentially die from the illness within hours if untreated, but most people recover after exhibiting only mild symptoms, with the help of oral rehydration solutions.
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