Unraveling the Enigma: Aswan’s Mysterious Disease Sparks Fierce Social Media Debate

Egypt’s social media pioneers What is the truth of this disease?

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, 128 cases were hospitalized from September 11 to Sunday the 22nd.

The cases are in the “Abu al-Rish” area and in some villages in the center and the city of Darou, north of the city of Aswan, suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Social media pioneers have offered varying opinions on what is happening in Aswan or what caused it, from analyzes to warnings about a seasonal infection that usually spreads in Aswan at this time of year. Spread of cholera epidemics.

Those who have claimed responsibility for the cholera outbreak have accused officials of hiding a dangerous epidemic, calling for the people of Aswan to be spared death.

For his part, Aswan Governor Ismail Kamal denied the presence of cholera in Aswan and assured local media that “the health situation in Aswan is stable”, saying there was “no need to hide” any details.

Egypt’s health ministry talks about “intestinal infections” and minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar says he has “assigned a team from the preventive medicine sector to Aswan to directly monitor the health situation on the ground.”

Despite assurances from officials, awareness posts about cholera and contaminated water diseases have spread across social media.

Those who talk about cholera say the epidemic was contracted by displaced Sudanese from nearby Sudan who sought refuge in Egypt to escape the effects of civil war in their country.

The World Health Organization has attributed the cholera outbreak in Sudan to the collapse of the country’s sanitation system and medical sector.

Sudan’s Ministry of Health announced last week that the number of cholera cases in the country has risen to more than 11,000 since last August, including 348 deaths.

Meanwhile, some social media users in Egypt began warning against drinking water directly from the tap, citing “dangerous bacterial infections transmitted through contaminated water.”

But health sources in Aswan denied reports that cholera was the cause of the infections, and the Egyptian health ministry said there was no epidemiological link to all the cases.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said the number of infections “is lower than the total population of Aswan, which is about one million 600 thousand people.”

But some on social media spoke of a catastrophic situation, claiming that entire villages were affected, and demanding that officials explain what was happening.

Abdel Ghaffar believed the injuries were likely “the result of contamination of food or drink.” Also, some social media users pointed the finger at the Egyptian Chemical Industries Company, known as “Kema”, saying it dumped its waste into the Nile.

They circulated a video clip of a young man from Aswani complaining in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, during a visit to the governorate in 2017, about a chemical factory dumping its waste into the waters of the Nile.

But Aswan’s new governor, Ismail Kamal, denied rumors of chemicals leaking from the mince factory into Nile waters, saying the factory discharges its waste into an industrial drain and has a sewage treatment plant with triple treatment.

The Aswan Water and Sanitation Company also denied the existence of contamination in drinking water.

According to the Egyptian Minister of Health, “coordination has taken place between the Ministries of Health and Housing to analyze drinking water at 103 stations in Aswan Governorate to ensure water safety.”

On the other hand, some social media users warned of the dangers of rumors that only a small area of ​​Aswan was affected and not all of Aswan, and noted that it affects tourism in the governorate, especially as it begins. winter season

During winter, Aswan enjoys warm and sunny weather, besides its abundant natural landscapes and ancient temples, it becomes a popular destination for tourists at this time of the year.

Egypt is suffering from a severe economic crisis and a significant shortage of dollar revenues, of which tourism is one of the country’s most important sources.