Maputo — The health authorities in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula have reported a new outbreak of cholera, with at least 40 cases notified so far, but no deaths, reports Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily paper "Noticias".

The new outbreak began last week, and cases were reported from the districts of Nacala-a-Velha and Namapa. The health authorities have reopened cholera treatment centres that had been closed earlier in the year, and have redoubled their efforts in awareness campaigns among the residents to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

This new surge is blamed on the lack of an adequate supply of clean drinking water and the poor sanitation conditions.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Cabo Delgado province, also hit by the epidemic, 73 deaths from cholera have been reported, out of the 4004 cases diagnosed since early January.

However, the authorities in Cabo Delgado say that the epidemic there is now subsiding, and the situation is stabilising, with no cases reported during the last two weeks in the districts of Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia, where most of the deaths occurred.

The provincial health directorate has confirmed the suspicions that cholera had now reached Mueda district. Since 26 June, there have been 210 known cases in Mueda, with seven deaths.

The chief of the Cabo Delgado Community Health department, Henrique Pinto Antonio, said that another affected district is Muidumbe, with 104 cases and three deaths reported since 28 June.

"These are areas where the situation still calls for a special attention, since we still have between six and eight new cases a day", he said.

But he expressed hope that the situation there will soon come under control thanks to the preventive measures taken by the health authorities, and the public awareness campaigns.