By DPA
Geneva : The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Friday there were now 1,500 confirmed cases of cholera in northern Iraq and one case in Baghdad.
The provinces of Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk and Arbil are mainly affected in the north, where contaminated water supplies have been blamed for the outbreak. Up to 29,000 cases of acute diarrhoea, a possible early sign of cholera, have now been reported.
The first case in Baghdad, concerning a 25-year-old woman, was confirmed Thursday prompting fears that the disease was spreading. Another two suspected cases in Baghdad were currently being tested.
“For the time being there is only one case in Baghdad, but it is likely others will be identified. The most important thing in Baghdad is to strengthen the surveillance system to identify suspect cases quickly,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said.
Cholera could spread quickly but is curable if treated quickly with rehydration salts and antibiotics, she added. It was preventable if measures were put in place swiftly to provide clean water, Chaib said.