Tswane: An outbreak of cholera has killed 15 people in South Africa’s most populous province, Gauteng.
According to foreign media, South Africa’s Department of Health has declared a cholera outbreak in Gauteng province on Sunday, confirming 15 deaths and 41 patients and instructing citizens not to drink tap water.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that 41 cases of cholera have been confirmed across the country, including 34 in Gauteng Province, one in Limpopo Province and six in the Free State.
According to the municipal authorities, the tap water supplied to Tswane city is not potable, however, the supply of clean water to the citizens is being ensured through water tankers.
It should be noted that cholera can cause severe diarrhoea, vomiting and weakness and is mainly spread through contaminated food or water, and can kill anyone within hours if left untreated.
South Africa recorded its first two cases of cholera in February after cholera outbreaks in neighboring Mozambique and Malawi, which are the most affected countries in 2023, according to the United Nations.
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