Dec 18 (Reuters) - The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe has soared to 1,111, the United Nations said on Thursday, adding to pressure for a quick solution to the crisis in the southern African country. Here are some details about cholera and recent outbreaks in Africa: * RECENT OUTBREAKS IN AFRICA: DIED INFECTED DATE ZIMBABWE 1111 20,581 Dec. 08 D.R. CONGO 92 3,091 Sept. 08 GUINEA-BISSAU 213 12,785 Nov. 08 400+ 25,000 2005 SUDAN (south) 44 6,000 Aug. 08 700 25,000 2006 ANGOLA 1,893 46,758 June 2006 * WHAT IS CHOLERA? -- Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Transmission is through faecal-oral contamination or ingesting contaminated water and food. -- It is characterised in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhoea that can lead to death by severe dehydration and kidney failure. -- The extremely short incubation period -- two hours to five days -- increases the potentially explosive pattern of outbreaks, as the number of cases can rise very quickly. * HOW IS CHOLERA TREATED?: -- Cholera is treated by replacing lost fluid and salts. People are treated with prepackaged mixtures of sugar and salts that are mixed with water and drunk in large quantities. -- Severe cholera cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. -- With prompt rehydration, fewer than 1 percent of cholera patients die. Sources: Reuters/WHO
A rescuer prepares to go down Guaziyan coal mine where a gas blast occurred in Lianyuan, Hunan province December 18, 2008. Eighteen miners were trapped after a coal mine blast on ...
