Health authorities in northern Mozambique’s Nyasa province have recorded a total of 10 deaths from the cholera outbreak since December, an official said on Tuesday.
Six deaths have occurred in the Lago region and four in the city of Lichinga, the provincial capital, according to José Manuel, director of the provincial health service in Nyasa, quoted by Radio Mozambique on Tuesday.
Of the more than 600 cases of cholera diagnosed in the province since the outbreak began, 612 have been discharged from hospitals and 13 patients have so far been admitted to 12 treatment centers, the official said.
“Fortunately, a good response came from the medical center. Just yesterday, we received about 7,000 bottles of saline in our region,” the official said, referring to the availability of medical material for the treatment of the disease.
The source said 112 cases of diarrhea and vomiting were also reported in Sanga and Mekanhelas counties, prompting authorities to collect samples for the National Institutes of Health.
Mozambican health authorities suspect the cases were imported from Malawi, a country bordering the Lago region where cases have been reported.
Cholera is a disease that causes severe diarrhea and is treatable but can lead to death from dehydration if not dealt with urgently, as it is largely caused by eating contaminated food and water due to lack of sanitation.