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	va1-sg19016.securesites.net

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Asia

[1] Cholera - Iran

[2] Diarrhea, fatal - Nepal (Central region)

Africa

[3] Cholera - Senegal

[4] Cholera - Sierra Leone



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[1] Cholera - Iran





Iran said on Sat 6 Oct 2007 it had 43 cholera cases, 4 times more 

than previously announced, and added they were mostly near Iraq where 

there has been an outbreak of the disease, an Iranian news agency reported.



A World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thu 4 Oct 2007 

that 10 cases had been confirmed in Iran. WHO has urged neighbors of 

Iraq, where cholera has struck more than 3300 people since mid-August 

2007, to strengthen their defenses against the disease.



Iran shares a long border with Iraq. Many Iraqi refugees have fled to 

Iran to escape violence at home, while Iranian Shi'ite Muslim 

pilgrims often cross into Iraq to visit holy sites there.



"The total number of confirmed cholera cases has reached 43, most of 

them identified in (Iran's western) Kurdistan province among those 

who used to frequently cross the Iraqi border," Health Ministry 

official Mohsen Zahraie was quoted as saying. The report, carried by 

Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, did not give further details 

about those suffering.



--



[The initial report of cholera in Iran stated that the cluster had 

began on 19 Sep 2007 although the timeline of when the initial 9 or 

10 cases occurred was not clear. It is less clear now that 43 cases 

are reported. With more cases, does this reflect more cases in Iraqi 

refugees coming across the border, secondary spread in Iraq, or a 

combination? Additionally, with "most of them identified in (Iran's 

western) Kurdistan province among those who used to frequently cross 

the Iraqi border," how many of the cases occurred in elsewhere in Iran?



A map of Iran can be found at 

location of the Iranian cases in Kordestan (sometimes spelled 

Kurdistan) is in the northwestern part of the country, which borders 

on the most affected areas of Iraq. - Mod.LL]



*****

[2] Diarrhea, fatal - Nepal (Central region)





At total of 11 persons, including 7 in Rautahat district and 2 each 

in Hetauda and Parsa district died in a diarrhea epidemic in the 

villages within the past week [1-5 Oct 2007].



According to our Rautahat correspondent, 7 persons died while nearly 

500 other locals of 16 villages in the district have been affected by 

the diarrhea outbreak. Doctors at Gaur Hospital said that lately more 

than 20 diarrhea cases a day have come to the hospital. Locals of 

Gaur Municipality and 16 VDCs including Chandiya, Basantapur, 

Jhunkhunuwa and Dumariya are suffering from the outbreak.



Doctors said that they are accommodating the incoming patients in the 

hospital corridors as patients have outnumbered the hospital beds. 

According to Dr Ram Shankar Thakur, the disease has taken its toll in 

the rural settlements largely because of the consumption of fish 

caught in local streams. Meanwhile, most of the affected villages 

have a dearth of medicinal supplies.



Meanwhile in Hetauda, 2 persons from Bharta VDC-6, died of diarrhea 

on Wed 3 Oct 2007. Tek Bahadur Chepang, a local, said diarrhea has 

spread across most of the settlements in the VDC. "Many of the 

villagers have become seriously affected," Chepang said.



In Parsa, diarrhea spread across 2 villages in the district killing 2 

persons including a newborn baby, on Wed 3 Oct 2007. Similarly, the 

epidemic has affected over 50 locals in Lamariya area of Basantpur 

VDC-5 in the same district.



--



[Although not mentioned by name, cholera has been occurring around 

this mountainous Asian country. All of the areas discussed here are 

in different districts of the Central Region of Nepal and all are 

south of the location of Katmandu in this region. A map of Nepal can 



*****

[3] Cholera - Senegal





Senegalese national Health Director Professor Oumar Faye Thursday [4 

Oct 2007] said 1060 new cholera cases had been reported across 

several regions in the country, local press reported.



"Within the last 5 days, we've witnessed a slight increase in the 

number of reported cases," according to the director, who said "the 

upsurge in new cases could be attributed to the fact that the country 

was experiencing a dry season and unhygienic practices."





"There are 6 regions which have been affected, including Saint-Louis, 

Touba, Louga, Thies, Dakar, and Diourbel," Faye said, describing the 

situation as "alarming."



According to the "Le Quotidien" daily, the worst-hit areas are Touba 

with 222 cases, Mbacke with 79, Bambey with 20, Louga with 48 and 

Saint-Louis with over 30.



--



areas involved are primarily in the western parts of the country. - Mod.LL]



2006

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