At least 150 passengers on a plane from Oran were picked up at the Perpignan airport in southern France on September 5 because of a suspicion of cholera in an 8-year-old child. French nationality.
Some 150 people were taken care of, Wednesday, September 5 at the airport of Perpignan, in the south of France, because of a suspicion of cholera on an 8 year old child, in a plane coming from Oran, in Algeria, announced Agence France-Presse.
"A child is likely to carry cholera and will be evacuated to the hospital for examinations," said firefighters. The other passengers - 147 in total - and the crew members were on their side "in the process of evacuation" shortly after 3:15 pm after being held aboard a little over an hour. An episode of diarrhea occurred on board the plane, said the airport manager.
Joined by telephone by Jeune Afrique , the prefecture of the Eastern Pyrenees confirmed the case of suspicion on a minor. The child was evacuated to the hospital center of Perpignan for further examinations. Insofar as the disease is transmitted by air, "the other passengers have left the airport," said the communication cell of this prefecture. If the child's contamination is proven, the other passengers will be recalled for treatment, said the Health Directorate.
According to a statement issued by the prefecture, the plane should leave empty in Oran, where it will be disinfected.
The flight, which is operated by ASL, took off from Oran around 12.30 pm (local time) and arrived at the destination at around 14.00. ASL is not currently available for further information. According to The Independent , a doctor was dispatched on board the aircraft upon landing, after being reported by a member of the crew prior to disembarkation. The technological risks cell of firefighters would also be on site.
According to the newspaper Le Parisien, the French Ministry of Health has urged airlines to limit the risk of spreading the disease.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning on August 26 on the risk of cholera in Algeria. "Several cases of cholera have been diagnosed in the north and center of the country (Bouira, Blida, Tipaza, Algiers, Medea, Ain Defla), said the statement. The Algerian Ministry of Health and Population reports that a source in the Tipaza region is causing the contamination but that tap water will remain potable. In any case, it is imperative to pay particular attention to the rules of hygiene and safety in order to protect yourself from digestive contaminations or contact ".
The origin of the vibrio identified
The Algerian Ministry of Health reportedly identified Wednesday, September 5, the origin of the appearance of the vibrio in a water source of the Beni Azza River, separating the municipalities of Blida and Ouled Yaïch, west of the capital city. The cholera vibrio is said to have spread into the waters of this river, which crossed several localities and ended up in agricultural lands.
In 2012, the official agency APS already alerted of the danger that this river constitutes on the local environment and the health of the population. "30 km long, the wadi, which has its source in Chréa before reaching the wadi Mazafran, is a threat to the inhabitants of the towns of Blida, Ouled Yaïch and Beni Mered, that it runs south in the north, and especially for the residents of the precarious houses, erected along its banks, "wrote the agency at the time. The river in question, which houses a landfill, receives wastewater from the surrounding dwellings.
