Iraq water plant source of cholera outbreak-minister

[unhappycamper]

Iraq water plant source of cholera outbreak-minister


SULAIMANIYA, Iraq, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Health officials have traced the source of an outbreak of cholera in Iraq's northern Sulaimaniya province to a water treatment plant, a regional health minister said on Thursday.

Zairyan Othman, health minister for Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, has warned of a catastrophe unless the outbreak is quickly contained. There are nearly 4,000 suspected cases in Sulaimaniya and the neighbouring province of Kirkuk.

Othman told Reuters on Thursday samples taken from the water treatment plant showed the presence of the bacterium that causes cholera, an acute intestinal infection that is spread through contaminated food and water.

"This is the main reason for cholera spreading so quickly in Sulaimaniya," Othman said.

He said the plant, which serves the whole of Sulaimaniya, was to be shut for 24 hours to clean its filters. Most Sulaimaniya residents rely on bottled water or wells.

Othman also blamed the outbreak on well-water that had not been properly chlorinated. He said eight people had died in the outbreak, seven in Sulaimaniya and one in Kirkuk.


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[izzie]

1. I believe we cut the footing out from under all these things starting

back when the UN said we could put a halt to all things going into Iraq years before this last war started. I do not recall just when it happened but all goods were just stopped. It was one of the things that made bin larden so mad. Hundreds of thousands died because of it and the lights, water and oil business just fell apart. It had some thing to do with kids death and health care also. When you do not keep up your basic stuff bad things happen and that is not a pun. We have also bombed many of these things that a society needs which I think is not a thing that goes with the Geneva Convention. Besides that it is down right un-am. for how we think of our self. It is not a shock that these things are going to happen. With 2 Million people moved into other countries around Iraq. These countries are taking in people they can not care fore, I am sure we will see more of such stuff. Good job Bush, father and son. Course Clinton could have done some thing about it. I am so glad our Master of Business from Harvard is not running the local hospital as I need a few tests.

[malaise]

2. Thanks George

This took longer than expected. Arrest this war criminal.