Cholera outbreak kills 82 in four months

A cholera outbreak in the Niger river valley has caused 82 deaths in Mali over the past four months, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Dr. Youssouf Konate, the national director of health, told IRIN that between 14 August and 23 November, the government had recorded 977 cases of cholera and 82 deaths. Konate said the situation was most serious around Mopti, a town 500 km northeast of the capital Bamako. This had recorded 17 deaths from the accute form of diarrhoea which causes rapid dehydration, severe headaches and vomiting. Bamako had recorded only four cases of cholera and no fatalities, he added. The outbreak of the water-borne disease followed heavy rains which led to extensive flooding in the Niger valley. The infection is often spread by contaminated water and food. Konate said poor sanitation, a disregard for basic hygiene and population movements had facilitated the spread of the disease, especially in villages.