Two die in cholera outbreak near Beit Bridge

Two people have died of cholera in an outbreak in Tongwe, near Zimbabwe's Beit Bridge, forcing authorities to close the local school to contain the spread of the disease.

In addition, 24 people in the area have tested positive for the illness since 1 December, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) spokeswoman Muriel Mafico told IRIN on Monday.

The Minister of Health had seconded additional staff to the district to help, and UNICEF would send urgent help where required, Mafico said.

It was not yet known what had caused the outbreak.

The Daily News reported that the Health Ministry had set up control teams at Tongwe School and in major business centres, and were disinfecting boreholes in the area.

The Tongwe outbreak comes after a similar outbreak in nearby Masvingo province in August, which Mafico said had now stabilised.

A number of oganisations, including the Red Cross have been supporting the government's efforts and funding was currently being finalised to provide a cholera specialist for the government.

The World Food Programme warned, however, that Masvingo was one of a number of provinces experiencing severe food shortages.

Inadequate nutrition and poor water sources are known to fuel the disease which can also leave families too weak to tend to important food crops.