Four people have died of cholera in the central Mozambican district of Mossurize, near the border with Zimbabwe, confirming fears that the disease that has ravaged Zimbabwe could spread to neighbouring countries. The local media quoted the district administrator, Vasco Gaspar, as saying that the outbreak began on 4 December in the Macuo region in the frontier locality of Garagua. So far, 20 cases have been reported, four of whom had died. Two of the deaths took place in the victims’ homes and two in the Macuo health centre, where they had arrived in a critical condition. The authorities have reacted by distributing chlorine to disinfect wells, while stationing medical teams in the area. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), deaths from cholera in nearby Zimbabwe has claimed over 700 lives. The number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe stands at 13,960, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
