Cholera infects over 400 in quake-hit Spera district of Khost

More than 400 people have been infected with cholera over the last 10 days in Spera district of Khost province, the site of a deadly earthquake that struck six weeks ago, officials said on Sunday.

Mohammad Nabi Zadran, head of a mobile health team in Khost, said that eight people have died of cholera in Spera district, including five children and three adults.

Most of those infected are women and children. Officials said cholera is reported also in Gyan and Barmal districts of Paktika province.

“They should assist us. Foreign countries should assist us as we are suffering,” said Abdullah Noor, a resident of Spera district.

Health officials said that efforts are ongoing to control the spread of the disease.

Fazl Karim, Khost’s health director, said that a total of 40 mobile health teams were deployed to fight the cholera outbreak.

The UN agency for children also said this week that after the recent earthquake there is an increased risk of an outbreak of diseases like cholera in Spera district in Khost.

“Thanks to the support from USAID, we have been able to provide safe drinking water to 1,500 of the most vulnerable families,” UNICEF said on Twitter.