Angola death toll from cholera outbreak tops 1,500

GENEVA, June 8 (Reuters) The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Angola has topped 1,500 with more than 41,000 cases reported, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Although the spread of the disease, which has affected 13 of the country's 18 provinces, appears to be slowing, 250-300 cases were being reported each day, the United Nations agency said. As of May 31, the outbreak had killed 1,576 people in the southern African country, up from just over 1,400 on May 25.

More than half of the infections have occurred in the capital, Luanda, on the Atlantic coast.

Cholera, an acute intestinal infection spread by contaminated water or food, causes vomiting and acute diarrhoea that can lead to dehydration and death within 24 hours. It can be treated easily with antibiotics and rehydration salts.

Angola's 27-year civil war, which ended in 2002, devastated the country's sanitation and water systems.

REUTERS SK VC0438