Ten more South Africans lose their lives to the cholera outbreak

On Sunday, the provincial health department in the South African province of Gauteng reported 19 new cases of cholera, including 10 fatal cases, in Hammanskraal.

After the cholera virus entered the country from Malawi in February, South Africa confirmed its first cholera death.

The number of cholera cases nationwide as of Sunday was unknown, but Gauteng, the region with the highest population and where Johannesburg and Pretoria are located, has been particularly severely struck.

Cholera is typically spread through contaminated food or water and can result in acute diarrhea, vomiting, and weakness. If left untreated, it can kill within hours.

The most recent outbreak in South Africa occurred in 2008–2009, when 12,000 cases were reported after an outbreak in the country’s neighbor, Zimbabwe, which resulted in an increase in imported cases and local transmission.

Reuters