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Yemen's Deadly Cholera Outbreak Spirals

Yemen's Deadly Cholera Outbreak Spirals
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As Yemen's cholera outbreak gathers pace, an investigation is under way to determine whether a new and more deadly strain of the disease is responsible for a second wave of cases that hit the country last month.

Yemen's Deadly Cholera Outbreak Spirals

With more than 2,000 suspected cases reported daily, medical supplies are running low and in some hospitals beds are shared by up to six children. Scientists are urgently trying to identify the suspected new strain at specialist laboratories in France.

Malnutrition, lack of clean water and a conflict that has destroyed infrastructure and hampered access to medical supplies have allowed the epidemic to escalate, according to those coordinating the aid response.

"This is the second wave of cholera we have seen here recently, and it is spreading at an alarming rate," said Nevio Zagaria, head of mission in Yemen for the World Health Organization [WHO].

Speaking from the capital, Sana'a, Zagaria said: "We had an outbreak that started in October 2016 and which declined in January. Now, in the last month, we have seen more cases in three weeks alone than in the previous six months."

Since 27 April there have been 329 deaths and 32,056 confirmed new cases, according to the latest figures. Of those, 16% are among children under five and 20% among children aged five to 14.

"We have started an investigation to determine whether a new and more virulent strain of the cholera, perhaps originating in Somalia or Ethiopia, has been generating a higher mortality rate during this second wave of infection," said Zagaria.

Samples have already been collected by the WHO for testing in Paris. Experts hope the results can help them understand how the disease has been spreading.

The immediate forecast is grim, however. Even by the most conservative estimates, there will be 150,000 cases of cholera within the next six months, said WHO statisticians.

Yemen has a population of almost 27 million. With food shortages and hunger spreading, the UN estimates nearly 19 million people are in need of help.

Among the most vulnerable are the undernourished. Medics on the ground said children are dying from a preventable disease because they lack supplies to treat them.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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