Cholera cases and number of deaths continue to rise

According to the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, from August 26 through January 31, 2009, 61,304 suspected cases and 3,181 deaths have been reported in the country. The worst-affected areas are the capital city of Harare (14,126 cases and 592 deaths), Mashonaland West (14,259 cases and 685 deaths), Manicaland South (7,081 cases and 458 deaths). Cases of cholera have been reported in all of Zimbabwe’s provinces. Cases have also been confirmed in the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Additional sources have reported cases in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Togo. Cholera is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. The disease is spread through untreated sewage and contaminated drinking water.