Health Ministry on alert as cholera breaks out in Iraq

AMMAN — The Health Ministry has issued a communiqué to all health directorates and hospitals to conduct tests on 10 to 15 per cent of those who suffer from diarrhoea to check for suspected cases of cholera, as new outbreaks have been reported in Iraq.

Mohammad Abdullat, director of the ministry’s communicable disease control department, said Tuesday that although Jordan has had no cholera cases since 1982, the ministry still takes precautionary measures like diarrhoea testing and immediately reports if anyone is diagnosed with the disease. The necessary antibiotics and medicines are available, he added. Moreover, these measures include collecting and analysing samples of wastewater and checking water resources all over the Kingdom.