Cholera epidemic in Zambezia on the decline, but Swine fever in Nampula

The number of cases of cholera notified in the central Moçambican province of Zambezia has undergone a significant decline in the second half of December. According to data provided by the Zambezia provincial chief doctor, Leonardo Chavana, from the start of the outbreak, on 28 August, up to 1 January, 4,443 people were diagnosed with the disease, of whom 69 died. The provincial capital, Quelimane, had the largest number of cases, 1,957, but since most of these could be rapidly treated, only 11 people died in the city. The heaviest death toll (18) was in Milange district, on the border with Malawi. Chavana attributed this to the poor coverage of Milange by the health service.



Meanwhile, the daily paper "Diario de Moçambique" said that some 5,000 pigs have died in the northern Moçambican province of Nampula, due to an outbreak of African swine fever. The fever is reported to have started in the districts of Malema and Ribaue, and is spreading to other areas, including the provincial capital, Nampula city. Celestino Linha, the head of the provincial livestock services, said that 4,680 pigs had succumbed to the disease in the administrative post of Mutuali, in Malema. So far 50 pigs have died in Nampula city. Since there is still no information from Ribaue, where pig-rearing is a significant activity, it could be possible that many more have died.