The emblem of the World Health Organization. File photoGENEVA, June 7. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently unable to confirm reports of a cholera outbreak in Mariupol, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said at a briefing on Tuesday. «We have determined that the risk (distribution of cholera in Mariupol) is high… But we cannot confirm current reports because there has not been a full epidemiological investigation. We have not seen any laboratory confirmation,» Harris said. She noted that the increased risk is primarily due to the fact that many residents of Mariupol lost access to drinking water due to damage to water pipes and sewer systems. Harris also reported that several years ago, there were already spikes in cholera in Mariupol. «In 2011 there was an outbreak during which there were 33 cases of the disease, as well as several carriers. So this is a place where cholera is known to have been in the past. So there is a confluence of factors that make ri high, but we cannot confirm that there is a real outbreak at this stage,» the WHO representative said. importation of cholera
