A man receives treatment for cholera in Lebanon's northern Akkar governorate in October 2022. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Lebanon on Saturday recorded seven new cholera cases but no additional deaths in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the illness to 580 and the total number of deaths since the outbreak began last month to 20, the Health Ministry said in its daily report, which was published on Sunday morning.
The cholera outbreak — the country's first since 1993 — began on Oct. 5 when the first case was identified in North Lebanon.
Cholera is usually caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, often present in feces. Infected people may suffer acute diarrhea, but the illness can also be asymptomatic.
Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced Friday that half of those who have been vaccinated against cholera thus far are Lebanese, and that the other largest groups vaccinated so far were Syrian and Palestinian nationals.
In a press conference, Abiad said that those vaccinated are "53 percent female and 47 percent male and that the majority of the vaccinated are aged between five and 14."
The vaccination campaign continues in targeted regions, including North Lebanon and the Bekaa.
Some 36,038 vaccines were administered between Friday and Saturday, for a total of 201,638 doses since the campaign began last week when the Health Ministry launched a three-week campaign aimed at vaccinating approximately 600,000 people.