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90 new cases as disease spreads

Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

Ninety new cases of cholera were reported in Limpopo yesterday as the disease continued to spread rapidly in the province.

The number added to the 52 new cases reported on Tuesday and 48 new ones the day before.

The provincial department of health and social development said its own toll of confirmed cases so far was nearing the 2000 mark, with 1944 people being infected by the bacteria that causes cholera.

Nine people have died so far in the province and most of those infected in South Africa were of Zimbabwean origin. They are either living in the country or travelling here for treatment.

Departmental spokesman Phuti Seloba said the hardest hit were the Sekhukhune and Capricorn districts, with figures of 40 and 30 new cases, respectively, yesterday.

The Vhembe district dealt with 12 new cases, Mopani seven and the Waterberg district with only one, according to Seloba.

He urged people to refrain from using river water as that might lead to more people contracting the disease.

Seloba said the results of the samples taken from the 30 people treated at Jane Furse Hospital on Monday had not been released. The samples were taken for testing to determine whether the people were infected with cholera.

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