Less than 24 hours after the nation’s first case of cholera since 1993 was verified, Firas Al-Abyad, the health minister for Lebanon, stated today, Friday, that officials are investigating suspected instances of the disease.
The announcement was made about a month after the disease first appeared in Syria’s neighbouring, war-torn neighbour.
The first case belonged to a middle-aged Syrian refugee living in the Akkar governorate in the country’s north, according to Al-Abyad, who reportedly confirmed the existence of a second case in the same region.
He emphasised that “the (first patient’s) status is stable and is under surveillance. The minister made the observation that the presence of other cases is almost certainly implied by the identification of a cholera infection.
Al-Abyad stated that there are further suspected cases and pointed out that cholera is a contagious illness.
These changes occur as the Lebanese economy continues to falter, pushing three-quarters of the country’s people into poverty. Millions of people’s lives have gotten worse as a result of frequent power outages, water shortages, and rising inflation.
The United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization have been collaborating with the authorities for weeks to safeguard the nation’s reaction to a potential cholera outbreak and to increase testing capacity in hospitals and labs, the Lebanese Minister of Health noted.
Al-Abyadh added that efforts are being made by the authorities to provide access to clean water and an effective sewage system.
The World Health Organization states that cholera is brought on by consuming water or food that has cholera bacteria in it. Even though the majority of cases are mild to moderate, untreated illness can be fatal.
Lebanon is home to almost one million Syrian refugees who left their country’s civil war. Most people reside in congested dwellings or tent cities.
Concerns of an outbreak of cholera in Lebanon… and “Health” details the first case
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