Cholera deaths rise to 53 in Congo

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo – At least 53 people have died of cholera since mid-November in the Republic of Congo, according to official figures released Sunday. Local officials said they believed the real toll was much higher.

The majority of the deaths have been in the southern commercial hub of Pointe Noire, where World Health Organization representative Nafo Faoumata Traore said the contagion entered the city water system after heavy rains.

A group organized by the government of the Central African country and the WHO said the death toll includes a handful of cases in the capital, Brazzaville, that appeared to involve people who had been in Pointe Noire.

More than 2,800 cases of the potentially deadly waterborne disease have been reported in Pointe Noire since Nov. 15, said Henri Joseph Mpara, the head of the group.

Pointe Noire Mayor Roland Bouity Viodo said he believed many more people had died than were reflected in the official statistics, noting that the death toll only includes cases confirmed by medical centers.

Transmitted through contaminated water, cholera is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and inadequate sanitation.