Thirty-two people have died in an outbreak of cholera in the central- western African state of Cameroon.
The water-borne disease was first detected in the Southwest and Centre
regions in late October and then spread to three other regions.
Outbreaks of cholera, an acute form of diarrhoea that is treatable with
antibiotics and hydration, occur periodically in Cameroon. The country’s
last epidemic was between January and August 2020, when 66 people
died.
Cholera is caused by a germ that is typically transmitted by poor
sanitation. People become infected when they swallow food or water
carrying the bug.
The World Health Organization estimates an annual global tally of
between 1.3 and four million cases, leading to between 21,000 and
143,000 deaths.
