Diarrhea Outbreak Kills At Least 14 People in Northern Ethiopia

May 30, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- At least 14 people have died due to recent outbreak of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in Amhara state of northern Ethiopia, according to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.

The Institute in a statement said 14 people have been confirmed dead and 192 others are still infected by the bacteria in the Amhara regional state. Similar cases of diarrhea outbreak have also been identified in two other regional states, according to the report.

It is  the first death report of the institute since the outbreak had occured a month ago affecting more than 200 people at the beginning.

The spread of disease has been put under control in Wagimra and Abergele districts where 76 patients have been infected and receiving medication, the institute's statement elaborated.

The disease is still prevalent in Telemet district of North Gondor where at least 111 have been affected but no case of AWD has been reported in the area since May 18, 2019, the institute said

As part of controlling the spread of the disease, 651,000 water treatment equipment worth of over 800.000 birr have been deployed in Telemet, Wagimra and Yeda districts where the spread of the disease was reportedly on decline.

Poor infrastructure and telephone network remained challenges in containing the spread of the disease and to reach out those affected by the infectious disease.

According to the institut's cases of AWD has also been detected in Somalia and Oromia regional states where the institute has deployed health professionals and the necessary medicines.

The institute warns of high incidence of AWD, malaria and tuberclosois in the coming rainy season and advised the public to take precautionary measures.

175 cases of the disease had been detected in Temilet and Yeda districts of north Gondor and at least 60 people were diagnosed to have been infected in Abergele district of Wagemra zone at border between Wello of Amhara and Tigray regional state at the start of the recent outbreak.

Lack of proper waste disposal means, unsanitary toilet uses, and failure to properly cook vegetables and other foods were mentioned as causes for the spread of the diarrhea outbreak in the stated parts of Ethiopia.

Source