Cholera outbreak in Lebanon may 'overwhelm fragile health system', says WHO

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A lab technician works on samples to test for cholera, at a hospital in Syria's northern city of Aleppo (Photo by AFP)

On October 5, 2022, Lebanon recorded a case of cholera. This was the first occurrence of the disease in the country since 1993.

Reuters reported on October 12 that the health ministry announced the first death from cholera since then. The new outbreak is likely a result of a similar outbreak in Syria, which borders Lebanon.

The first patient was a Syrian man living in an informal settlement in the northern part of the country. Cholera is a disease caused by ingesting the corresponding bacteria through contaminated water or food. As such, it can be widespread in areas where there is a lack of access to healthy drinking water and food.

Informal settlement camps, of which there are many in Lebanon following influx of refugees from Syria, are ripe for the spread.