Dr Manal Mohammed, Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, has spoken to Metro about the effect of war on disease and infection in the wake of the UN warning of an imminent waterborne disease outbreak in Gaza.
In the article Dr Mohammed explains that fears are rising across Gaza about the spread of waterborne infectious diseases due to poor sanitation services and the exposure of sewage contaminated water.
She said: “There are several pathogens that can be transmitted through consumption of contaminated water such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, polio, hepatitis A virus which can cause serious illness and even death.
“Some bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotics such as Salmonella and E. coli can also be transmitted through contaminated water.
“If people [in Gaza] are not killed by rocket attacks, they might die of consuming contaminated water.”
Dr Manal’s comments come in the wake of an announcement by the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Palestine (UNWRA), Philippe Lazzarini, who declared: “We are on the eve of a water borne disease outbreak.”
Read the full article on the Metro website.
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