Bujumbura, Burundi’s main city has been hit by a cholera outbreak forcing the authorities to shut unhygienic bars and restaurants, Bujumbura’s mayor has said in a statement.
So far 126 people have been infected by the acute diarrhoeal infection, which is caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
In severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.
“There are public areas in Bujumbura like bars and restaurants that lack hygiene, that’s why we have four or five new cases every day,” Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa said.
The authorities were closing those establishments operating in markets and near the roads that were found to have poor hygiene standards, he said.
Lake and river water, that some city residents use, have also been banned.
The mayor’s warning comes a day after a UN report said the country was dealing with a malaria epidemic with more than 1,800 dying of the disease this year.
By The Eastafrican
