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Tuesday 27 Oct 2015 - 13:44 Makkah mean time-14-1-1437
 Aleppo, (IINA) - President of the US-based Syrian American Medical Association Dr. Ahmad Tarakji claimed on Monday that a cholera epidemic is spreading in Syria and that the outbreak could pose an international threat, Anadolu Agency reported.
Tarakji noted that one child in Aleppo has already died by the disease, pointing out that it has already reached epidemic proportions in Iraq.
He stressed that Syria's medical system is crippled, and that aid for medical care is insufficient, which means that the deadly disease could spread quickly across international borders.
The World Health Organization issued on October 12 a warning on its website saying that 1,263 cholera cases were confirmed in Iraq. The organization says it is doing preliminary testing to confirm the presence of cholera in Syria.
Cholera attacks children and adults in a weak state of health. It spreads without detection, as many carriers do not show symptoms for some time.
Tarakji said that the Syrian regime is no longer capable of operating its water purification system, and this aids the spread of the disease. He added that poor sanitation, which is an ongoing problem in Syria, also spreads cholera.
He stressed that Syrian refugees displaced within the country are in particular danger of contracting the disease.
It is noteworthy that Syria’s devastating civil war, now in its fifth year, has left some 250,000 people dead, according to UN figures, and the country is now divided between different heavily armed factions.
AG/IINA
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