ISIS Dumping Dead Bodies On Syrian Streets Causes Deadly 'Flesh-Eating' Disease To Spread
The Huffington Post UK | By Nitya Rajan
Posted: 04/12/2015 12:56 GMT Updated: 04/12/2015 16:59 GMT
A deadly "flesh-eating" parasite is on the rise in rural Syria due to Islamic State dumping bodies on the street.
Known as the Leishmanisis disease, the increase in incidents will place a greater pressure on the country's healthcare system, already collapsing under the strain of war.
"As a result of abominable acts by ISIS that included the killing of innocent people and dumping their corpses in streets, this is the leading factor behind the rapid spread of Leishmanisis disease," the head of the Kurdish Red Crescent told Rudaw - a Kurdish media outlet.
The disease is transmitted when infected sandflies bite humans and according to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 1.3 million new cases and 20 000 to 30 000 deaths occur annually.
A Syrian Kurdish fighter reportedly told other news agencies: "We did not have knowledge about this deadly disease before.
“We have been fighting on the battlefield for almost four years and this disease basically generated from embattled areas of Tal Hamis, Hon and Qosa,"
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/04/isis-syria-deadly-flesh-eating-disease-to-spread_n_8717890.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
