Cholera deaths surge worldwide: WHO says ”conflict, floods lead to 126% increase”

The number of deaths from cholera this year has more than doubled compared to last year, a new calculation shows. Analysis shows that while the number of cases has decreased, the increase in deaths has been due to an increase in conflict zones and the occurrence of natural disasters.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a current disease status report on the 21st (local time) that "the number of cholera cases worldwide from January to September this year was 439,724, with 3,432 deaths."
The number of cases fell 16% compared to the same period last year, but the number of deaths soared 126%. In response, the WHO said, "The number of deaths in conflict-affected and large-scale areas where access to medical care has been severely reduced is increasing.
"The number of deaths has increased due to illness in areas where facilities were destroyed by the large-scale flooding," he explained. Cholera is a Class 2 infectious disease caused by infection with the cholera bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Acute diarrhea
If left untreated, the mortality rate is high, reaching 50% on average. In particular, the mortality rate for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and infants can reach 90%.
Unlike the COVID-19 virus, it is not transmitted through the air, but through direct contact with the feces and vomit of patients. It is vulnerable to boiling water and acid, and is more contagious in places with good sanitary conditions.
However, if water facilities are destroyed by war or natural disasters and sanitary conditions deteriorate, cholera can easily spread. In fact, there have been cases of cholera in Lebanon, where fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah has intensified recently.
The WHO said, "As of the 14th, the world's stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has almost run out," and "We are working to rapidly vaccinate the infected person and control the spread of the disease."
"We need to start increasing production of chin," he stressed.