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American Morning
House Call: Cholera Most Serious Health Concern in Iraq
Aired May 14, 2003 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The World Health Organization now says the most serious health concern in Iraq right now is cholera. It can be deadly, and there are confirmed cases right now in one southern city, the town of Basra in fact.
Our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, in a "House Call" this morning, who spent some time embedded in Iraq during the war.
Sanjay -- good morning. How bad is it do we know in Basra?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, it is pretty bad already. They are concerned that this may be the tip of the iceberg. We're talking about cholera, dysentery and rotavirus, certainly bigger threats right now in Iraq than bullets and bombs. These are big -- obviously three big health infections, infections of the water that can be a real problem.
But, Bill, as you mentioned, the cases right now, about 55 suspected cases in southern Iraq -- suspected cases in northern Iraq right now, a lot of this attention being focused on Basra. But health officials most concerned that this could be the tip of the iceberg.
Bill, the reason that this happens are really three main reasons. Lack of clean water being the big one. Also lack of electricity to filtrate water. And finally, decreased security around hospitals to try and treat patients, even test patients who might have these symptoms.
Basically what we're talking about here is an acute intestinal infection, not something you usually talk about over Cheerios, but an acute intestinal infection that's caused by bacteria. Now, when this happens, people can get severely dehydrated. They can have significant diarrhea, as we know. If untreated -- if untreated, these cases, about 50 percent of them can be fatal. So, obviously this is a big concern.
Iraq has seen this before. They saw this after 1991, where there was a huge outbreak of cholera in the same region of the country, in Basra, back in 1991. The real key now, the real key for these Iraqi health officials will be to get clean water back into these areas, to stop dumping sewage into the water, to try and get electricity and beef up security.
Again, Bill, a bigger threat right now, these health infections bigger so than bullets and bombs -- Bill. HEMMER: And that death rate is staggering, too, at 50 percent. Sanjay, thanks. See you in about 45 minutes again, about an hour on our next "House Call."
GUPTA: All right.
HEMMER: Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 14, 2003 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The World Health Organization now says the most serious health concern in Iraq right now is cholera. It can be deadly, and there are confirmed cases right now in one southern city, the town of Basra in fact.
Our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, in a "House Call" this morning, who spent some time embedded in Iraq during the war.
Sanjay -- good morning. How bad is it do we know in Basra?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, it is pretty bad already. They are concerned that this may be the tip of the iceberg. We're talking about cholera, dysentery and rotavirus, certainly bigger threats right now in Iraq than bullets and bombs. These are big -- obviously three big health infections, infections of the water that can be a real problem.
But, Bill, as you mentioned, the cases right now, about 55 suspected cases in southern Iraq -- suspected cases in northern Iraq right now, a lot of this attention being focused on Basra. But health officials most concerned that this could be the tip of the iceberg.
Bill, the reason that this happens are really three main reasons. Lack of clean water being the big one. Also lack of electricity to filtrate water. And finally, decreased security around hospitals to try and treat patients, even test patients who might have these symptoms.
Basically what we're talking about here is an acute intestinal infection, not something you usually talk about over Cheerios, but an acute intestinal infection that's caused by bacteria. Now, when this happens, people can get severely dehydrated. They can have significant diarrhea, as we know. If untreated -- if untreated, these cases, about 50 percent of them can be fatal. So, obviously this is a big concern.
Iraq has seen this before. They saw this after 1991, where there was a huge outbreak of cholera in the same region of the country, in Basra, back in 1991. The real key now, the real key for these Iraqi health officials will be to get clean water back into these areas, to stop dumping sewage into the water, to try and get electricity and beef up security.
Again, Bill, a bigger threat right now, these health infections bigger so than bullets and bombs -- Bill. HEMMER: And that death rate is staggering, too, at 50 percent. Sanjay, thanks. See you in about 45 minutes again, about an hour on our next "House Call."
GUPTA: All right.
HEMMER: Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
