Water Sources Contaminated After Floods

The Sindh Provincial Health Department in Pakistan issued an epidemic bulletin. After the floodwaters receded, submerged toilets, garbage dumps, and the carcasses of livestock and poultry contaminated water sources, leading to a massive proliferation of Vibrio cholerae and E. coli. A total of 320 confirmed cases of cholera have been reported across the province, with more than 60 percent of those infected being children, and there are also a large number of cases of diarrhea and dysentery. The floods have damaged water supply infrastructure, leading to a severe shortage of clean freshwater; disaster victims’ reliance on contaminated river water is further exacerbating the spread of the disease.