According to NICD spokesperson Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, so far there have been no reports of cases of the disease in other provinces.

According to the source, the first three cases were imported or related to importation following travel to Malawi.

Cases four and five acquired the infection locally; they had not traveled, had no links to imported cases or to each other, and do not reside or work in the same area. These two patients are classified as local cases, whose source of infection is not yet known, he added.

The sixth was reported recently and is still under investigation, Jimoh said.

Of the total cases, one died, according to the health ministry.

The NICD explained that, by definition, the detection of locally acquired cholera cases qualifies as a confirmed ‘cholera outbreak’.

While there is an ongoing risk of imported cases following travel from other African countries currently experiencing cholera outbreaks (especially Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), the spokesperson explained,and added that, local case detection is critical for initiating actions to interrupt transmission in affected communities. Cholera is a bacterial disease, usually caused by water, which provokes severe diarrhea and dehydration. If diagnosed early, it is easily treatable.

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