Sudan cholera outbreak reaches war-torn Darfur

KHARTOUM, June 12 (Reuters) A cholera outbreak in Sudan has spread to the war-torn western Darfur region, posing a serious threat to the 2.5 million living in squalid camps in cramped conditions, a UN statement said.

Cholera spreads rapidly in close-knit populations. An outbreak which began in late January in south Sudan has killed at least 516 people among more than 13,800 cases, affecting six of the 10 southern states.

''The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nyala (south Darfur) confirmed 65 cases of acute watery diarrhoea,'' said a UN statement sent late yesterday.

Cholera is an acute, diarrhoeal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

The statement said an aid agency had confirmed one cholera fatality in Gereida, in southeast Darfur, where almost 100,000 people have fled their homes to seek safety in the town.

''WHO issued an alert warning on the cholera outbreak,'' the statement added.

Three years of rape, pillage and murder in Darfur has herded much of the population to crowded urban centres away from rural villages.

Scarce food supplies, a lack of healthcare and the upcoming rainy season make them more vulnerable to the water-borne disease.

Cholera causes vomiting and acute diarrhoea that can lead to rapid dehydration and death within 24 hours if not treated.

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