Six individuals in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, have been confirmed to have cholera, as announced by the municipal authority, which has taken measures such as temporarily closing restaurants in the affected area.
On July 6, Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the Yangon authority, revealed that nine residents from a ‘squatter ward’ in the commercial heart of Yangon were hospitalized due to severe diarrhoea, with one of them subsequently testing positive for cholera. The settlement, housing over 600 people, only has 12 shared toilets, exacerbating the sanitary conditions.
Following tests conducted at two hospitals in Yangon, five additional cholera cases were identified. Tragically, an individual with AIDS who had not been tested for cholera passed away. In response, the Health Ministry issued a cautionary text message to mobile users, urging them to practice enhanced hygiene.
Cholera, an infectious disease caused by consuming contaminated food or water, can lead to severe symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a global annual estimate of 1.3 to 4 million cholera cases, resulting in up to 143,000 deaths, emphasizing the importance of sanitation in preventing its spread.
In related news, Vietnam is set to export cholera vaccine, with 10,000 doses produced by the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No1 (VABIOTECH) under the Ministry of Health scheduled for shipment to the Philippines. This proactive measure aligns with Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to prevent and control cholera outbreaks, with only one case reported in the first quarter of this year, as highlighted by Preventive Medicine Department head Nguyen Van Binh.
Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan emphasized the need to focus on eradicating cholera outbreaks, stating that continued testing for the cholera bacterium was unnecessary. These efforts underscore the importance of proactive measures in combating infectious diseases like cholera.
On a different note, Singaporean authorities recently apprehended 309 individuals for involvement in various scam offenses during a two-week period, reflecting the ongoing challenges posed by fraudulent activities in the region.
