/ 12 October 2000

115 NEW CHOLERA CASES

A FURTHER 115 cases of cholera were reported in KwaZulu-Natal this week and a total of 22 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak of the disease. Provincial health spokesman Roz Jordan said 62 of the cases were reported in Eshowe and 53 in Ngwelezane, pushing the number of cases reported since the outbreak in August to 2039. All cases of diarrhoea in the province were being investigated and monitored. Local boreholes had been tested, with negative results, for cholera and ecoli. Jordan said the contaminated water sources have been identified as the Empangeni River, the Mhlathuze River and the Ntufini River. The KwaZulu-Natal health department also said that in addition to ten rehydration centres set up over the weekend, another tent centre was to be established at Matshana. – Own Correspondent