Cholera kills 37, infects hundreds in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- Thirty-seven people have died from cholera in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal since mid-August, health authorities said Wednesday.

The provincial health department reported two deaths and 135 new infections over the last 24 hours, bringing the number of cases to 6,683 since the outbreak of the disease in the country's most populous province.

Cholera, which kills by causing diarrhea so severe that victims die of shock from loss of fluids, spreads via contaminated water. The health department has been urging tourists to stick to tap or purified water.

It urged migrant workers visiting infected areas in KwaZulu-Natal over the Christmas and New Year's holidays to take precautionary measures to avoid infection.

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