A total of 197 cases of cholera have been confirmed in South Africa with 43 deaths, the Department of Health said in a statement on Sunday.

“The country has recorded a total cumulative number of 1,045 suspected cases of cholera across five provinces, of which 197 were laboratory-confirmed,” the department said in a statement.

In terms of age distribution of the cholera cases, the age group of 41-50 years accounts for 23 per cent, followed by 31-40 years at 17 per cent and 51-60 years at 12 per cent, according to the department.

There is a decline in the transmission of cholera and mortality rate in the past few weeks after the government intervention, the department said, urging people to exercise good personal hygiene, especially during food preparation at social gatherings and funerals since the majority of positive cases and the deaths had causal links with funeral service attendance.

South Africa detected its first two cases of cholera in early February and recorded the first cholera death in late February. 

(Xinhua/NAN)