Cholera in Iraq

ABSTRACT

During the period between 14th of September, 2007 and 13th of January, 2008 a total of 4,697 laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera were reported from 46 districts in eleven provinces of Iraq [Kirkuk, Sulaimaniyah, Erbil, Dahuk, Tikrit, Ninewa, Baghdad, Basra, Wasit, Anbarand Diyala]. Twenty-four of these cases were fatal [CFR = 0.51%.]. V. Cholerae biotype Inaba was isolated in 99% of all samples tested. The outbreak was first reported from Kirkuk, Sulaimaniyah and Erbil provinces in the Northern part of the Country. The three provinces account for 98% [4,520] of the total reported cases of cholera in the Country. However, in the last few weeks the number of cases has been slowly coming down in these three provinces. In the last six weeks, most of the cases were reported from the capital city, Baghdad. Contaminated water was identified as the commonest vehicle of transmission of this outbreak. In response to the outbreak, Ministry of Health, Iraq, with the support of WHO Country and Regional offices and in collaboration with other partners have put in place control measures to contain the spread of the outbreak