IRAQ: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AWAITS TESTS ON SUSPECTED CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

Record ID: 643535

  • Title: IRAQ: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AWAITS TESTS ON SUSPECTED CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
  • Date: 7th May 2003
  • Summary: (W3) BASRA, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SMV MOTHER SITTING IN BED WITH SEVERELY DEHYDRATED CHILD SUFFERING FROM SUSPECTED CHOLERA AT AL-TAHRIR TEACHING HOSPITAL IN BASRA 0.03 2. SMV , ANOTHER MOTHER COMFORTING SICK CHILD, GENTLY ROCKING IT ON HER LAP 0.14 3. SMV MOTHER HOLDING SICK CHILD IN BED WITH METAL BAR, CHILD CRYING 0.19 4. SCU SICK CHILD 0.24 5. VARIOUS, OF MOTHERS AND SICK CHILDREN ON HOSPITAL BEDS AND DOCTORS (2 SHOTS) 0.34 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ESHRAK AHMAD, NURSE AT AL-TAHRIR TEACHING HOSPITAL IN BASRA, SAYING "We have received a lot of patients, and some of the patients left the hospital and came back with new developments in their cases. We have seen a daily increases in diarrhoea cases and we have a lot of patients, so we have to put two to three patients together in one bed, we have no medicine, no purification tablets or disinfectant to clean surgical instruments and keep the hospital clean." 1.01 7. VARIOUS, STAGNANT WATER WITH GREEN SLIME IN RIVER (2 SHOTS) 1.12 8. VARIOUS, MAN AND FAMILY COLLECTING SUPPLIES FROM POLLUTED WATER (2 SHOTS) 1.24 9. WIDE/ PAN, BOYS SWIMMING IN POOL (2 SHOTS) 1.37 10. WIIDE OF WQATER TRUCK BRINGING CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR RESIDENTS OF BASRA 1.43 11. SMV WOMAN COLLECTING CLEAN WATER IN BUCKET AND WALKING AWAY BALANCING CONTAINER ON HER HEAD 1.54 12. SLV CROWD COLLECTING WATER 2.01 13. SLV EXTERIOR HOSPITAL 2.09 14. SMV MOTHER HOLDING SICK CHILD WITH SUSPECTED CHOLERA 2.14 15. SCU SICK CHILD CRYING 2.23 16. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) WADIR ABED AL HISSAN, DOCTOR AT AL TAHRIR HOSPITAL IN BASRA, SAYING "So we cannot confirm cholera by investigation but clinically, we still suspect a few cases that have cholera." 2.31 17. SMV OTHER AND SICK DAUGHTER SITTING ON HOSPITAL BED WITH IRON BARS 2.37 18. SCU LITTLE GIRL 2.43 19. SMV SICK CHILD LYING ON BED WITH INTRAVENOUS DRIP 2.49 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BASRA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Q63DT5JDHNR516Y626DZSCN4
  • Story Text: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a
    cholera outbreak in southern Iraq.



    The World Health Organization on Thursday (May 8, 2003)
    awaited the results of tests for suspected cholera cases in
    southern Iraq caused by poor sanitation.

    Doctors in the southern Iraqi city of Basra have reported
    11 cases of cholera and say there could be dozens more due to
    contaminated water supplies and poor sanitation.

    Doctors say there may already be dozens, possibly hundreds
    of cholera cases in the south of the country.

    Eshrak Ahmad, a nurse at al-Tahrir teaching hospital in
    Basra said they had seen a big increase in patients suffering
    from diarrhoeal diseases and many showed clinical signs of
    cholera -- but the hospital did not have the means to treat
    them properly.

    "We have received a lot of patients, and some of the
    patients left the hospital and came back with new developments
    in their cases. We have seen a daily increases in diarrhoea
    cases and we have a lot of patients, so we have to put two to
    three patients together in one bed, we have no medicine, no
    purification tablets or disinfectant to clean surgical
    instruments and keep the hospital clean," Ahmad said.

    WHO said in a statement that sewage is not being disposed
    of, garbage collection is happening intermittently or not at
    all and people are using water from the polluted Shatt al-Arab
    river.

    Doctors at al-Tahrir Teaching Hospital and the Basra
    Children's Hospital reported seven and four cases of the
    highly
    contagious disease respectively. Results of tests to verify
    the doctors' diagnoses were due back in the coming days.

    "So we cannot confirm cholera by investigation, but
    clinically, we still suspect a few cases that have cholera,"
    said doctor Wadir Abed al Hissan.

    The WHO said the laboratory tests had to be carried out in
    neighbouring Kuwait because the hospitals' own equipment was
    looted in the breakdown of law and order that followed the
    war.

    Iraq's neglected and ageing water supply systems were
    damaged by air strikes, ground assaults, sabotage and looting
    during and after the conflict.

    Cholera is an acute intestinal infection. It is highly
    contagious, and causes a copious, painless, watery diarrhoea
    that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if
    treatment is not promptly given.

    Most cases of cholera can be treated adequately by giving
    a solution of oral rehydration salts, but patients who become
    severely dehydrated must be given intravenous fluids and
    antibiotics.


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