18 people seeking treatment at hospitals in Somalia had been confirmed cholera positive through laboratory tests, the Geneva based World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The 18 positive cases were detected out of 30 stool samples collected from patients seeking treatment at hospitals for acute watery diarrhea, a symptom that could result from cholera, Xinhua quoted WHO spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic as saying. All confirmed cases, including residents of Mogadishu district and those among internally displaced persons (IDPs), were said to be tested positive for the Vibrio cholera serotype "inaba", which had been the predominant serotype in Somalia for the past three years. "These results are an alarming reminder of the critical situation in Mogadishu and other parts of Southern, Central Somalia, (which are) still experiencing drought, population displacement and conflict," Jasarevic said. WHO has reported a dramatic increase of acute watery diarrhea cases in Somalia.
