Hanoi (VNA) – More than 500 people have been hospitalised with severe diarrhea in Myanmar's largest city of Yangon, and about 150 have tested positive for the cholera virus, according to the local media.
Bo Htay, Minister of Social Affairs of Yangon Region, said that nine of the admitted patients have been confirmed as 'Vibrio cholera cases' by the National Health Laboratory.
More than 100 new patients were admitted to the hospital on August 13, but the rate of new infections has since decreased, Htay said.
Health authorities are conducting epidemiological surveillance and outbreak-control measures in affected areas, according to officials.
Cholera is a severe diarrheal infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water, which can be fatal within hours if left untreated. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers cholera a major global public health threat and has linked its spread to inadequate access to safe water, sanitation and healthcare./.
