U.S. embassy warns against cholera outbreak in Khartoum

June 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – U.S. Embassy in Sudan Thursday has warned its American nationals against a cholera outbreak in the east African country including its capital Khartoum.

“The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum informs U.S. citizens that there are confirmed reports of cholera cases in some areas of Sudan, including the greater Khartoum metropolitan area, that have resulted in fatalities,” said a statement released by the embassy.

Khartoum’s State Health Minister, Mamoun Hamida, confirmed in a press statement on Tuesday 120 cases of watery diarrhoea in the Sudanese capital, killing two people.

Sudanese authorities describe the water-borne disease as “acute watery diarrhoea”, avoiding to call it cholera.

“This is a reminder to follow hand hygiene practices, and to consume safe food and water,” said the Embassy adding “Those who will be far away from medical care should travel with oral rehydration salts (ORS) -at least 3 sachets- and water purification tablets or other devices for clean water”.

In a report to the Sudanese parliament about the health situation in the country Thursday, Health Minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda said there are over 14,000 water-related cases, adding the disease killed 272 since the spread of the outbreak in August 2016 in 10 states.

The minister stressed that the contaminated drinking water has been behind the spread of the disease.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

(ST)