News
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Pakistan confirms 99 cases of cholera: WHO
GENEVA: Pakistan has confirmed 99 cases of cholera from across the flood-affected areas, as well as outbreaks of a rare tick-borne disease and a surge in dengue fever, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.
The cholera cases cover the period from the start of the floods in late July to the end of September, the UN health agency said. WHO said it had been alerted by Pakistan on October 12 and was working with local and international groups to contain and treat the highly contagious disease. It did not immediately explain the delay in publishing the event.
Cholera can cause vomiting and diarrhoea so severe it can kill from dehydration in hours.
The government of Pakistan has also reported 26 cases –- including three deaths – of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), WHO said. The disease, which is spread by ticks and other insects but rarely affects humans, typically kills 30 percent of patients, according to a WHO fact sheet.
Separately, Pakistan’s Ministry of Health has reported more than 1,500 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever, including 15 deaths, the organisation said. It said the floods, which submerged large areas of Pakistan, likely contributed to a rise in cases of these diseases. “Both CCHF and dengue fever are endemic in Pakistan with seasonal rise in cases,” the Geneva-based agency said in a statement. “However, recently, the transmission of both CCHF and dengue fever has intensified in the country with increased incidence and geographic expansion,” it said. ap
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk