Baghdad ? An outbreak of cholera has spread from northern Iraq to Baghdad, infecting at least 1,500 people, the World Health Organization announced Friday.

A 25-year-old woman became the first Baghdad resident to be diagnosed with cholera this week, and more cases are likely to be confirmed, a WHO spokeswoman said. At least 1,055 people have been diagnosed with cholera in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, and more than 24,000 other cases are suspected. At least 10 people have died from cholera in Iraq.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection spread through contaminated water or food, making it easy to prevent in countries where clean water is prevalent. A nationwide shortage of chlorine in Iraq has limited access to potable water and put millions of people at risk to contract the disease, which can remain dormant in some people while quickly killing others.