A man receives treatment for cholera in Lebanon's northern Akkar governorate in October 2022. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Lebanon on Wednesday recorded 7 new cholera cases and no new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the disease to 567 and 19 deaths, the Health Ministry said in its daily report published Wednesday night.
The cholera outbreak — the country's first since 1993 — began on Oct. 5 when the first case was identified in northern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the number of hospital beds occupied by patients suffering from or suspected of having contracted the illness increased, reaching 73, up from 72 in Tuesday's official report.
The vaccination campaign continues in targeted regions, including North Lebanon and the Bekaa. Some 39,177 vaccines were administered in the past 24 hours, for a total of 129,118 doses since the campaign began Saturday.
The ministry also announced that the Lebanese Red Cross has set up a hotline, accessible at 1760, to offer information about the disease and assess potential contaminations.
Cholera is usually caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacteria present in feces. Infected people may suffer acute diarrhea, but the illness can also be asymptomatic.