HARARE (Reuters) - A deadly cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed nearly 500 people in the biggest outbreak recorded recently in the crisis-hit country, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.
The WHO said in a report that the cholera outbreak is affecting most regions of the country with a fatality rate of up to 50 percent in some areas. It reported 473 deaths from 11,700 cases.
"Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe have occurred annually since 1998, but previous epidemics never reached today's proportions. The last large outbreak was in 1992 with 3,000 cases recorded," the WHO said in a report.
Zimbabwean rights groups estimate that up to 1,000 people have died from a disease that is preventable and treatable under normal conditions. The water delivery system has broken down in Harare and other cities, forcing residents to drink from contaminated wells and streams.
