Lebanon’s Health Minister Sounds Warning on Cholera Epidemic

Cholera could become endemic in Lebanon if the country does not curb its spread, Lebanon’s caretaker Public Health Minister Dr. Firass Abiad warned on Sunday, the country’s National News Agency reported. Abiad, a gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon, on a visit to public hospitals in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, said, “The epidemic is still in its infancy and can be stopped,” but that if the country did not take the “golden opportunity” to do so, the spread of the disease would impact both agricultural exports and tourism. Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated, according to the World Health Organization. Safe drinking water and sanitation are critical to prevent the disease and control its transmission. Lebanon’s Health Ministry published an updated Cholera Surveillance Report on Saturday showing 381 new cases and 17 deaths from the disease this year.