Confirmed cholera cases rise to 33 in east China county

The number of people sickened by a cholera outbreak in an east China county has risen to 33, as authorities have closed all street food stalls and restaurants for disinfection.

Wang Lin, deputy head of the health bureau in Mengcheng County, Anhui Province, said Monday among the 33 sickened, 13 have been cured and discharged from hospital.

He said those still suffering from cholera were in isolation in the No. 1 People's Hospital in Mengcheng. The hospital has also taken in another 39 suspected of having cholera for medical examinations.

The health official said the disease which is transmitted through water and food, can be cured and controlled.

"The local government would ensure nobody died from the cholera outbreak," he said.

The cholera outbreak was detected on Aug. 16, when the first three patients were taken into hospital.

Wang said the three people ate at three different restaurants. The provincial health and disease control experts were still working to trace the source of the epidemic in the county of 1 million people.

All street catering businesses including food stalls and Internet cafes have been closed so that their owners can disinfect them.


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