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62 cases of cholera in Algeria, hundreds suspected

August 30, 2018 at 2:31 pm

Medical staff treat patients in a hospital in Algeria [Twitter]

Two people have died of cholera in Algeria as 62 cases of disease have been identified since the start of the month, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

According to a ministry statement, 62 cases had been confirmed as of Tuesday with another 173 suspected cases.

“All preventive measures have been taken with a view to pre-empting the spread of the disease,” the statement read.

Since cases of the disease first appeared in mid-August, the Algerian health authorities have been trying to determine its source.

Read: Yemen on the brink of a new cholera outbreak

The Health Ministry had earlier attributed its appearance to contaminated water in Tipaza State west of the capital. This was denied by local authorities.

Cholera, which has not been seen in Algeria for more than two decades, is an infectious disease that causes severe diarrhoea.

It is potentially fatal if the sufferer does not receive proper medical treatment.