Cholera death toll in South Africa rises to 31

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – The death toll from cholera in South Africa has risen to 31, the Department of Health confirmed on Thursday.

The department said in a statement that more than 600 people with suspected cholera symptoms have been seen in hospitals in the Gauteng and Free State provinces.

Last month, health authorities announced an outbreak of cholera in Hammanskraal, north of the capital Pretoria, which has since become the epicenter of the disease.

The bacterial disease has since been recorded in several other provinces in the country.

The department said the majority of casualties and cases were recorded in Gauteng province which includes the largest city Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.

“The death toll stands at 31 and Gauteng province accounts for 29 deaths, while Free State and Mpumalanga provinces account for one death each,” the statement said.

The department also said the country recorded a total of 166 laboratory-confirmed cases and 202 suspected cases of cholera in five provinces between Feb. 1 and June 6, 2023.

This is the second time South Africa has confirmed a cholera outbreak this year. In February, health authorities recorded two confirmed cases of cholera imported from neighboring Malawi, where an outbreak had claimed hundreds of lives.

South Africa reported its worst cholera outbreak over a decade ago with about 12,000 cases following an outbreak in neighboring Zimbabwe, according to the health department.