Cholera outbreaks surging worldwide, fatality rates rise

Cholera cases have surged this year, especially in places of poverty and conflict, with outbreaks reported in 26 countries and fatality rates rising sharply, a World Health Organization official said on Friday.
In a typical year, fewer than 20 countries report outbreaks of the disease which is spread by the ingestion of contaminated food or water and can cause acute diarrhoea.
“After years of declining numbers, we are seeing a very worrying upsurge of cholera outbreaks around the globe over the past year,” Philippe Barboza, WHO Team Lead for Cholera, told a press briefing in Geneva.
The average fatality rate so far this year has almost tripled compared with the five-year average and is currently around 3% in Africa, he added.
While most of those affected will have mild or no symptoms, cholera can kill within hours if untreated.