Cholera outbreaks kill 49

Updated 11.04 Mon Nov 03 2008

Keywords: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Cholera

Cholera outbreaks in Mozambique and Zimbabwe have left 49 people dead.

About 40 people, mostly children, died in Mozambique's central Manica province, health officials said. Another nine people have died from an outbreak of the disease in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

"We suspect more people who drank water from the contaminated lagoon could die or have severe diarrhoea" - Mozambican provincial health director Quinhas Fernandes

Mozambican provincial health director Quinhas Fernandes said: "I can confirm that 40 people died from cholera in the past four days and this number is likely to increase due to the number of people seeking assistance; 130 others have been admitted to hospital.

"The first cases were detected on Friday and up to this morning (Monday) we have registered about 40 deaths from the disease.

"We suspect more people who drank water from the contaminated lagoon could die or have severe diarrhoea."

Most of the victims were under the age of 14.

The government had sent a team of experts to investigate the outbreak and samples had been sent to a hospital in Beira for testing.

Manica is one of four provinces in the Zambezi valley, which was devastated by severe flooding earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's state media has reported the troubled southern African country was battling a cholera outbreak that has killed nine people in Harare.

"This is the worst ever cholera outbreak in Harare and we are working with other partners to put up strategies to fight the disease," said David Parirenyatwa, the Minister of Health.

An economic meltdown has left urban residents with burst sewers, uncollected garbage and severe water cuts, forcing many desperate families to fetch unclean water from shallow wells.

Mr Parirenyatwa said authorities would apply heavy doses of chlorine to the wells to try make them safe.

At least 13 people died from cholera last month in Chitungwiza, 19 miles south of Harare, after the town was left without of water for more than a week.

Zimbabwe is suffering a chronic economic and political crisis, with inflation officially at 231 million per cent and basic goods scarce.