Containing cholera

The outbreak in Birgunj should serve as a wake-up call for the rest of the country.

A recent cholera outbreak in Birgunj Metropolitan City has taken a dangerous turn, with over 70 confirmed cases and two deaths (from diarrheal infections) as of Sunday evening. The virus has spread to various wards and communities of the metropolis—and more than 130 diarrheal patients have been admitted to health facilities in the district. Even though the outbreak’s major cause is yet to be identified, health experts suspect the presence of E. coli (a bacterium commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals) in water supplied to the metropolis.