Zimbabwe’s capital has been hit with a cholera outbreak.
Twenty people have died and over 2,000 have been infected in Harare, according to The Associated Press.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports cholera is contracted by consuming contaminated water or food. The disease can cause extreme diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and shock. If not treated, the afflicted can die within hours of contracting the disease.
Officials believe the outbreak has been caused by wells and boreholes exposed to raw sewage from burst pipes. Some communities do not have access to tap water so they use these sources as their water supply.
Health Minister Obadiah Moyo is trying to contain the problem before it spreads across the rest of the nation.
“We are declaring an emergency for Harare. This will enable us to contain cholera, typhoid and whatever is going on. We don’t want any further deaths,” Moyo told Reuters.
The sale of meat and poultry in affected areas has been banned and some schools are closed after two children died of the disease.
Zimbabwe’s last cholera outbreak was in 2008 and resulted in over 4,000 deaths.
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