The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned of a deadly cholera outbreak spreading rapidly in Lebanon as neighboring Syria also battles a resurgence of the disease.
Lebanon’s first cholera outbreak in decades began earlier this month as the country faces poor sanitation and crumbling infrastructure after three years of unprecedented economic crisis.
“The WHO is warning of a deadly cholera outbreak in Lebanon, where cases are rising,” the organization said in a statement.
“The situation in Lebanon is fragile as the country is already grappling with other crises compounded by ongoing political and economic deterioration,” said Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Lebanon.
More than 1,400 suspected cases have been reported nationwide since October 5, including 381 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, the WHO said.
The outbreak, initially confined to the poor north, has “spread rapidly” and confirmed cases are now being reported across the country.
This situation prompted WHO to help Lebanon procure 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine. Efforts to secure more doses are “underway given the rapid spread of the outbreak,” the WHO said.
Syria has been gripped by a cholera outbreak since September, after more than a decade of war that damaged nearly two-thirds of water treatment plants, half of pumping stations and a third of water towers, according to the United Nations.
The strain of cholera identified in Lebanon is “similar to that circulating in Syria,” the WHO said.
Most cholera cases in Lebanon involve Syrian refugees, Lebanese authorities said. About 2 million Syrians have found refuge in Lebanon, often living in deplorable conditions.
Aided by the lack of sanitation systems or drinking water, cholera is generally transmitted through contaminated food or water, causing diarrhea and vomiting. It can be easily treated but can be fatal within hours if left untreated, according to the WHO.
Frequent and prolonged power outages across Lebanon have disrupted the work of water pumping stations and sewage networks.