South Africa's Cholera Outbreak Claims 15 Lives

According to Reuters, on May 22, 2023, South Africans blamed Pretoria's Gauteng province government for failing to provide clean water as cholera-related fatalities reached 15.

The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) informed the public of the recent outbreak presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms in Hammanskraal, which is located north of Pretoria.

The first cholera cases in this outbreak were imported or import-related cases following travel to Malawi. All subsequent cases acquired infection locally and are classified as indigenous cases.

Other African countries currently experiencing cholera outbreaks include Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says cholera outbreaks are ongoing in 24 countries.

As of May 23, 2023, there are WHO-approved cholera vaccines such as DUKORAL®; however, due to production constraints, supply is very limited.