The World Health Organasation has released shock cholera figures of more than 46,000 Zimbabweans having contracted the disease.

The tally is from August and the death toll has reached 2,500, according to new figures that the health ministry and World Health Organization released here.

Cumulative infections rose to 46,606 patients as of January 19, while total deaths jumped to 2,484 as the water-borne disease continued to wreak havoc on Zimbabwe’s population.

However, unlike in the past few months, the latest WHO figures show that the epicenter of the outbreak seems to be moving away from the capital Harare to outlying districts.

Districts that recorded the highest number of new cases on Monday included Bindura in Mashonaland Central Province; Makonde and Zvimba in Mashonaland West; Buhera, Chipinge and Mutare in Manicaland; Chivi and Bikita in Masvingo; and Gokwe in Midlands Province.

The cholera epidemic, which broke out in August 2008 in Zimbabwe, has spread to other southern African countries where several deaths have been reported in South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi.

Late last year President Mugabe shocked mourners when he boldly said “the is no more cholera in Zimbabwe”

But the death toll continues to rise.