13 new cases of cholera found in Malawi: Health Ministry

By Moses Michael Phiri

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AA) - Malawi’s Health Ministry on Tuesday said that 13 new confirmed cases of cholera have been reported in the country’s northern district of Mzimba.

The total number of cases since the onset of rains in November reached 37.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal disease caused by a bowel infection, can lead to severe dehydration and death if left untreated.

“There have been three deaths in the past two weeks. And to contain the further spread of the disease, the government was raising awareness on cholera prevention in all 28 districts and distributing cholera supplies,” Adrian Chikumbe, the Health Ministry spokesman, told Anadolu.

Earlier this year, cholera killed 1,772 people while 59,015 others were infected.

Water shortages are regularly reported in most parts of rural Malawi as people use shallow wells and rivers to source potable water.