ISTANBUL

At least 63 people have died since mid-July in a cholera outbreak in eastern Chad's Ouaddai province, the Central African country’s health ministry said Monday.

Since the first case was reported on July 13, a total of 938 suspected cases have been recorded, 52 samples have been analyzed and 39 cases confirmed, Dr. Abdel-Mahmoud Chene, the public health and prevention delegate of Ouaddai, told a meeting chaired by Public Health Minister Abdelmadjid Abderahim, according to a statement posted on the Health Ministry’s page on the US social media company Facebook’s platform.

Cholera is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and is primarily transmitted through contaminated water. It can cause rapid dehydration and death if left untreated. Treatment includes antibiotics and intensive rehydration therapy.

In late July, the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) warned that around 80,000 children were at high risk of cholera as the rainy season began across West and Central Africa.

Children, especially those under five, are particularly vulnerable to cholera due to factors such as poor hygiene, lack of sanitation and safe water, and higher susceptibility to severe dehydration.

Cholera outbreaks are affecting countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sudan, and Togo.