Iraq reports first cholera death since new outbreak

The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced that the first cholera death and 17 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours.

“Kirkuk province recorded its first death from the disease today,” said ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr, according to the official Iraqi News Agency.

“During the past 24 hours, the ministry recorded 17 new cases of cholera, raising the total number to 76 cases recorded for this year in 2022,” al-Badr said.

Ten days ago, cholera cases were reported in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, the first in a decade in the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Ten cases were recorded at the time in Sulaymaniyah Governorate (north), two in Muthanna Governorate (south) and one in Kirkuk province (north), the statement said.

Al-Badr did not specify the causes of the new outbreak in Iraq.

The country had its last major outbreak in 2015, according to the health ministry. The wave of outbreaks hit Baghdad and Babel province, located south of the capital, at the time, causing hundreds of casualties.

Cholera, often caused by eating contaminated food or water, leads to diarrhea and vomiting.

It is usually found in residential areas where there is a shortage of drinking water or no sewage system.

The disease affects between 1.3 million and four million people worldwide every year and causes the death of between 21,000 and 143,000 people.