Cholera spreads rapidly in Mozambique

At least two people in cyclone-ravaged Mozambique have died in a growing cholera outbreak that has infected 1,400 people, government officials said Tuesday. Since health officials confirmed the first five cholera cases last week, the number of people with the disease has ballooned. Most of the cases are in the capital city of Beira, which is the hardest-hit area and the country’s hub for coordinating the disaster response.

Cholera spreads through contaminated food and water and causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. Victims can die within hours of the onset of symptoms if they don’t receive treatment. The World Health Organization has delivered 900,000 oral cholera vaccines to Mozambique for distribution beginning Wednesday. Since Cyclone Idai hit on March 14, more than 800 people have died in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Officials said Mozambique alone accounts for 598 deaths.