UN health agency sends kits to test for possible hepatitis outbreak near Baghdad

The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent hepatitis E testing kits to Iraq to help confirm whether there was a possible outbreak of the disease near Baghdad, the United Nations agency said today.

A WHO spokesperson in Geneva said there were 60 suspected cases of hepatitis E reported in a small town, Allatefiya, near the Iraqi capital. Nine of the cases affected pregnant women, and all of the cases tested negative for hepatitis C and B.

Fadela Chaib said WHO was following the situation with the Centre of Communicable Diseases, which was linked to the Ministry of Health in Baghdad, on a daily basis.

"WHO has also sent hepatitis E test kits, water purification tablets, information brochures and other material to Iraq to help with the outbreak," she said. "If confirmed, this is not unexpected as hepatitis E could spread quickly through contaminated water and in a bad sanitation situation."