Algeria _ Agencies
The Algerian health ministry said on Saturday that a second death had been reported and that 46 people had been infected with cholera since the beginning of August (August), confirming that the disease had spread to an additional area.
The ministry said in a statement that according to the latest analysis, "46 cholera cases have been confirmed in 139 cases received in hospitals since 7 August (August 2018)." No cholera cases have been registered in Algeria since 1996, while the last epidemic dates back to 1986.
The previous toll of the current cholera outbreak reported by AFP on Friday recorded 41 cases of cholera, including the death of one out of 88 unconfirmed cases distributed between the capital and three neighboring states.
The ministry announced Saturday the death of a second cholera patient in the state of Blida (50 kilometers south of the capital), where 25 cases were confirmed.
According to the ministry, one confirmed case was registered in the state of Medea and one case was questionable in Ein al-Dafli. The two areas, respectively, are located 80 and 100 kilometers southwest of the capital, adjacent to the state of Blida and Tipaza (70 km west of the capital), where the majority of the casualties were recorded.
Three cases were also observed in the state of Bouira, 100 kilometers southeast of the capital.
According to the ministry, the "Epidemiological investigations and investigation carried out by the health services (...) confirm the presence of the cholera germ" in a water spring in the state of Tipaza, where 12 cases were confirmed.
The ministry added that "the source has been proven to be contaminated" and "to prevent the consumption of its water."
The health authorities have ruled out the transmission of cholera with water weighted by the probability of "lack of hygienic conditions in some consumables".
"Domestic water is potable and there is no need to fear its consumption," the Algerian water company said, while in recent days the social networking sites have spread warning messages calling for them to stop drinking.
Many Algerian media have criticized the authorities ´ delay in declaring a cholera outbreak.
