A vaccinator giving the oral cholera vaccine. Photo credit: WHO

The Doctors Without Border (MSF) said two people died in the cholera outbreak declared in Upper Nile’s Renk County in October, after a local health official said last week that all patients were discharged with no fatalities.

Emmanuele Montobbio, MSF Field Coordinator for Emergency and Programme in Renk, said the cholera situation could worsen due to the current influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan.

He stated that severe overcrowding, poor hygiene and sanitation combined with inadequate clean water sources in Renk, are fueling the ongoing cholera outbreak.

“Since late October, almost 100 cases have been reported in the county. MSF-supported CTU has so far received and treated 45 cholera cases, and recorded among them two deaths,” he said.

He added that although some patients were registered from the local community, most of the patients are from war-torn Sudan, where a cholera outbreak was declared in August 2024.

Mr. Montobbio said the response of local authorities is limited and calls for more efforts to curb the spread of the epidemic.

The humanitarian worker said the outbreak has escalated to Malakal and risks spreading to other parts of the country if action is not taken.

“The current response pace might not match the urgency of the situation. We’re calling for stronger collaborative efforts from all partners and actors in Renk and beyond to manage the spread and prevent further and wider crises as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Renk Health Director Dr. Ayuel Deng reported in November 3 that all 59 cholera patients have been successfully treated and discharged from the local civil hospital, with no fatalities recorded.

Dr. claimed that all patients recovered and proactive measures were taken to curb the spread and protect returnees and the local population.

Cholera is a deadly disease transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, leaving patients with severe acute watery diarrhea and it can kill within hours if left untreated, according to WHO.

Most people infected with V. cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their feaces for 1–10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.

Among people who develop symptoms, the majority have mild or moderate symptoms and a minority of patients develop acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration.