Myanmar cholera rate not extreme: WHO

Bogalay village, one of the worst-hit areas by Cyclone Nargis - Reuters

Cholera has been confirmed among some survivors of Cyclone Nargis but the number was in line with case levels in previous years in Myanmar, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

A network was still being set up to monitor for diseases among 2.5 million people severely affected by the cyclone which tore through the delta two weeks ago.

Diarrhoea, dysentery and skin infections have afflicted some cyclone refugees crammed into monasteries, schools and other temporary shelters after the devastating May 2 storm.

The WHO has sent emergency health kits to the devastated region and was providing bleach and chlorine tablets to treat dirty water.

Rotting corpses pose no health risk
Corpses are still rotting along the banks of the Irrawaddy River two weeks after the disaster which killed up to 128 000 but the WHO said they pose no risk to public health.

"There has never been a documented case of a post-natural disaster epidemic that could be traced to dead bodies," the WHO said in a statement.

It said the peak danger period is between 10 days and one month after a natural disaster due to the heightened threat of unsafe food, dirty water and poor hygiene and sanitation in overcrowded shelters.

"It is how the survivors are managed, rather than how the dead are managed, that determines if and when an epidemic may occur," the WHO said. - Reuters