Cholera, a scourge of Africa, hits Cameroon
Pastor Dale Morgan
Cholera, a scourge of Africa, hits Cameroon*
POSTED: 1412 GMT (2212 HKT), November 2, 2006
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (Reuters) -- A cholera outbreak has killed at least 28
people in Cameroon's Far North province neighboring Lake Chad, state
radio reported on Thursday.
Health authorities blame the outbreak on living conditions and lack of
clean drinking water which forced people to fetch water from polluted
sources, the radio said.
Cholera, caused by water-borne bacterium, is a seasonal problem in many
African nations. An outbreak last year killed more than 800 people
across several countries in the West African region.
The bacterium spreads through contact with feces and is associated with
heavy rains that flood latrines and contaminate drinking water.
The disease can kill within 24 hours by inducing vomiting and diarrhea
that cause severe dehydration and shock, but it is easily treatable with
a mixture of water and rehydration salts.
According to the United Nations, West and Central Africa have the lowest
levels of clean water and sanitation in the world. One in five children
die before the age of five, often due to diarrhea and water-borne diseases.
In Cameroon, "the hardest hit is the Logone and Chari division where 28
people have died out of 541 cases registered so far," Cameroon Radio
Television (CRTV) reported.
The provincial delegate for Public Health provided the figures during an
emergency meeting in Kousseri, capital of the Far North province, to
seek a solution to the crisis.