DAMASCUS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cholera infections in Syria have largely been contained following the measures taken by the health authorities countrywide and at border points, a Syrian health official said on Tuesday.
Zuhair al-Sahwi, director of communicable and chronic diseases at the Syrian Health Ministry, made the remarks after a tour for the journalists to the Ibn al-Nafis hospital in the Syrian capital Damascus.
"Currently ... the epidemiological curve of cholera (in Syria) is flattening, which indicates that the suspected cases have been contained and that there is no increase in cases," he said.
Al-Sahwi said every suspected case was being dealt with seriously, and the necessary tests were being made to tell if a diarrheal patient had contracted cholera.
Meanwhile, the health authorities are urging people to report to hospitals and medical centers in case of diarrhea to start treatment at an early stage, he noted.
"Based on the epidemiological curve, whose data is being studied and analyzed twice a week, in addition to the pre-emptive measures undertaken by the health ministry and applied in all other provinces, we can say that there is nothing to fear as our measures are so strong and even applied at border points," he said.
The first cholera case was reported in the country's northern city of Aleppo in August. Since then, 46 deaths and a total of 1,249 confirmed cases have been reported, according to Al-Sahwi.
He added that Syria has received aid from international organizations to deal with cholera. ■
