A state of emergency has been declared in Zimbabwe after a deadly outbreak of cholera in its capital Harare.
Mayor Ian Makone made a statement on Friday morning, saying: "We have declared a state of emergency because of cholera."
"âThe cholera outbreak has come with vengeance," he added.
The country recorded 136 suspected deaths and 6,685 suspected cases. Measures have now been put in place to try and contain the spread – and people have been advised not to go to street vendors, open-air marketplaces or outdoor church camps.
Half of all cases are in Harare's high-density suburb of Kuwadzana. The condition has hit 45 out of 62 districts and is in all 10 provinces of the country.
The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says that more than 10 million people are at risk, including more than five million children.
“The numbers are rising at an accelerating pace and can be expected to cause cross-border transmissions,” the humanitarian network said.
Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak began two months ago. In 2018, there was another outbreak – the country declared a “national emergency” after 20 deaths and more than 2,000 cases were reported.
What is cholera and how does it spread?
Cholera is a bacterial infection that can cause severe diarrhoea, usually spread through contaminated water.
It's not found in the UK, but there's a very small risk of getting it while travelling in some parts of the world. The infection affects 47 countries across the globe.
Cholera can be caught by:
drinking unclean water
eating food (particularly shellfish) that's been in unclean water
eating food that's been handled by an infected person
In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the faeces of an infected person that contaminates water or food.
You should see a doctor if you have been in an area where there is cholera and you have severe watery diarrhoea and vomiting — and symptoms of dehydration, such as feeling thirsty or dark yellow and strong-smelling pee.
