The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Tuesday (October 11th) it had confirmed 11 cases of cholera in Yemen's Sanaa, after the UN announced an outbreak of the disease last week.
"So far, we have 17 suspected cholera cases, and 11 that are confirmed," said WHO expert Amro Saleh.
All confirmed cases came from one neighbourhood, Saleh said, adding that no deaths had so far been reported from the disease.
Saleh also said "143 cases of severe diarrhea" were admitted to hospitals in other provinces, including 49 in Taez and 42 in al-Hodeidah, AFP reported.
All those cases have tested negative for cholera, according to another WHO expert.
Saleh said he was "confident that the epidemic will remain under control".
UNICEF Yemen representative Julien Harneis said last Friday the outbreak "adds to the misery of millions of children in Yemen".
The WHO warned that the scarcity of drinkable water has worsened the hygiene situation in Yemen, fuelling a marked increase in cases of severe diarrhea.
UNICEF said that cholera, a disease that is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhea, could prove fatal in up to 15% of untreated cases.
