APA-Pretoria (South Africa) The death toll from South Africa’s cholera outbreak has risen to 47 after four more people succumbed to the disease in the Free State province, the country’s health authorities have announced.
In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry said while they had recorded four new deaths since last month, there was a significant decline in the number of both suspected and confirmed cholera cases around the country in the past few weeks.
According to data, only one confirmed positive cholera case was recorded out of 28 new suspected infections in the past 10 days.
“This doesn’t mean the transmission of cholera is over. And members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and exercise personal hygiene at all times, especially when preparing and serving food during mass gatherings,” the ministry said.
The country has recorded a total cumulative total of 1,073 suspected cases of cholera in five provinces since February, of which 198 of them were laboratory-confirmed.
Gauteng province is leading with 176 infections mostly from Hammanskraal township in Pretoria, while 11 were recorded in Free State, six in the North West, four in Limpopo and one in Mpumalanga, the ministry added.
NM/jn/APA