Health Ministry denies rumors on cholera outbreak in country

KUWAIT, Nov 6 (KUNA) -- Health Ministry denied rumors on cholera outbreak in the country, after it has spread in Iraq, Ministry official announced on Friday.
Assistant Undersecretary of Public Health Affairs at the Ministry Dr. Majidah Al-Qattan told KUNA that five cases of cholera, in fact, were confirmed in the country, that last of which was recorded on October 5. She added all cases of the disease came from Iraq and they were all fully treated.
She pointed out that the Health Ministry is taking all necessary precautions to spot any suspected cases of cholera; laboratories are fully set and physicians are made aware to conduct special diagnosis to determine the disease.
She added special handling protocols of the disease from World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been distributed to all treatment centers in the country.
Al-Qattan said that the Ministry is following up on any updates of the cholera outbreak in Iraq.
She advised people, especially children, pregnant women and those of poor health, to postpone their travel plans to the neighboring country up north.
Travellers from Iraq, meanwhile, should visit the nearest health centers as soon as possible once they witness acute diarrhoeal infection within seven days of their arrival. Niether contaminated water or food sources should be touched nor should it be carried while travelling, she cautioned. Earlier, UNICEF's Iraq director Peter Hawkins announced that a cholera outbreak in Iraq has spread to neighbouring Syria, Kuwait and Bahrain, and risks turning into a region-wide epidemic as millions of pilgrims prepare to visit the country.
"It (the outbreak) already has a regional dynamic and the risk of that can only be increased by people from all over the region coming into Iraq," he added. (end) shd.nfm