Zimbabwean Cholera Outbreak Claims 300 Lives, Infects 6,000

November 21, 2008 10:47 p.m. EST

Harare, Zimbabwe (AHN) - A total 294 people have died from cholera while 6,072 have been infected with the water-borne disease in Zimbabwe, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday.

The figures were the latest counts since the outbreak of the disease in August.

The U.N. agency warned the disease is spreading fast in all of the country's provinces due to poor sanitation, severe shortage of potable water, lack of medicines and the closure of government hospitals.

Health advocates also said the government lack chemicals to treat water and citizens are using contaminated water from wells and rivers. The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights told CNN that four main hospitals in the capital Harare no longer admit patients because medicine supply treat them has run out.