Mozambique cholera outbreak grows

Health officials in Mozambique on Friday confirmed more than 100 cases of cholera in Beira, the city worst-hit by Cyclone Idai. Ussene Isse, the national director of medical assistance, reported 139 cases, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa.

The cyclone raged through Mozambique on March 14 before moving into Zimbabwe and Malawi. More than 700 people died, and hundreds of thousands of others were displaced. Responders raised concerns that infectious diseases could spread as hundreds of thousands of people crowded into makeshift shelters and multiple communities still lack access to clean water. 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 opened seven treatment centers and will supply 900,000 oral vaccines next week.