First cholera outbreak since 2017 kills one in S.Sudan

Cholera has killed one child and sickened 30 individuals in South Sudan, according to health officials, the first outbreak in nearly five years.

“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that the cholera outbreak has been declared in Rubkona county, Unity State,” the ministry said in a statement.

“To date, a total of 31 cases including one death have been reported from Rubkona town and Bentiu IDP camp” and health officials are investigating whether there are any others, it said.

The fatality was a seven-year-old child who died on March 25. All others infected have been treated and released from the hospital, it said.

The outbreak followed a steady rise in diarrhea cases in the affected areas, it said.

It marked the first cholera case in the country since December 2017, which marked the end of an outbreak that began in June 2016 and killed 436 people.

Cholera is an acute form of diarrhea that is treatable with antibiotics and hydration but can kill within hours if left untreated.

It’s caused by bacteria that are usually spread by poor hygiene. When people swallow the bug-carrying food or drink, they become infected.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 1.3 million and four million cases of cholera were reported worldwide in early 2021, resulting in between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths.