Mexico cholera outbreak rises to 180 with new cases from Hidalgo and Veracruz

The outbreak of cholera in Mexico continues to rise as The Ministry of Health reports an additional four cases, two eah from Hidalgo and Veracruz states, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) update today.

Vibrio cholerae
Image/CDC/ Janice Carr

This brings the total in Mexico to 180 cholera cases, including one death. This is up four cases from the end of October.

The breakdown by state is as follows: Two are from the Federal District, 159 cases from the state of Hidalgo, nine from the state of Mexico, two from the state of San Luis Potosi and eight from the state of Veracruz.

This is the first local transmission of cholera in Mexico in a dozen years.

Some key facts about cholera provided by the WHO include:

• Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.
• There are an estimated 3–5 million cholera cases and 100 000–120 000 deaths due to cholera every year.
• Up to 80% of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration salts.
• Effective control measures rely on prevention, preparedness and response.
• Provision of safe water and sanitation is critical in reducing the impact of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
• Oral cholera vaccines are considered an additional means to control cholera, but should not replace conventional control measures.

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