Published Date: 2012-03-12 08:51:39
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Cholera - Sierra Leone (02)
Archive Number: 20120312.245695
CHOLERA - SIERRA LEONE (02)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Thu 8 Mar 2012
Source: Bloomberg [edited]
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-08/sierra-leone-cholera-outbreak-leaves-34-people-dead-more-ill.html
Sierra Leone cholera outbreak leaves 34 people dead
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At least 34 people have been killed by a cholera outbreak in Sierra
Leone, Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister Borbor Sawyer said today
[8 Mar 2012].
The West African nation has recorded 2137 cases of the bacterial
infection since last month [February 2012] in 3 districts in the
north and south, he told reporters in Freetown, the capital.
Cholera causes acute watery diarrhea and severe dehydration and is
spread through contaminated food and water.
[Byline: Silas Gbandia]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR
<promed-eafr@promedmail.org>
[Further cases and deaths continue to be registered in the cholera
outbreak that has affected at least 3 districts in the Northern and
Southern regions of Sierra Leone. The cases have been attributed to
poor access to safe water in the affected communities. In our
previous report, late reporting to hospital was highlighted as the
main factor for the high death toll. We continue to see more deaths
in this report and hence the authorities need to improve case
detection and access to treatment at community level.
Maps of Sierra Leone can be seen at
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/sierrale.pdf and
http://healthmap.org/r/1KlT. - Mod.JFW]