Zimbabwe records 70 suspected cholera cases, one death amid new outbreak

Harare, Nov 19 (IANS) A total of 70 suspected cholera cases and one death have been recorded in the Kariba District of Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province since a new outbreak began in early November, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said.

As part of the response, 1,007 out of a targeted 2,553 people in the district which borders Zambia have received an oral cholera vaccine dose, said the ministry in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new outbreak came a few months after the Zimbabwean government declared in August an end to a previous nationwide outbreak that began in February last year and claimed hundreds of lives.

According to the ministry, infection prevention and control measures alongside cholera awareness campaigns have been implemented in the town to contain the outbreak.

Zimbabwe has experienced recurring cholera outbreaks over the past years due to inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure.

–IANS

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