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Cholera treatment centre opened

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    NAIROBI

    Two cholera treatment centres have been established in Mogadishu after samples from suspected victims tested positive, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed to IRIN. A cholera treatment centre was opened this week by Medecins Sans Frontiere (Spain), and Action Contra la Faim (ACF). MSF-Spain spokesman in Mogadishu David Querol told IRIN that MSF-Spain had been collecting samples of suspected cholera cases since November when concern about an outbreak started. "Out of 54 samples gathered up to the first week of January, 24 were positive," Querol said. In the last week the number of suspected cases increased by 20, and MSF-Spain decided not to wait for positive confirmation of results before opening the treatment centre. Querol said that cholera in Mogadishu had spread quickly in previous outbreaks.

    Seven patients were admitted on Monday. MSF-Spain warned that admissions at the centre may increase once the centre had been publicised. Health education teams would visit affected patients to explain methods of transmission, and water chlorination teams would make daily checks on wells in the areas patients were coming from.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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