Cholera outbreak in Comoros

Cholera is spreading rapidly across Eastern and Southern Africa. The disease has most recently affected the country of Comoros, where the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak on Friday, February 2, 2024. The outbreak has been spreading steadily with a total of 33 cases confirmed as of February 11. A cholera treatment center has been activated in Samba (outside of Moroni, the capital of Comoros), where 13 patients have been treated. Two cholera related deaths have been registered (1).

This outbreak occurs after a near 17-year lull, with the last cases reported in the country in 2007 (1,555 cases) and 2008 (4 cases) (2). The current outbreak in Comoros is believed to have been imported from Tanzania. On January 31, 2024, a boat from Tanzania arrived in Moroni with a person on board who had died of suspected cholera. A total of 25 people were on board the ship, many of whom had cholera symptoms but were not immediately treated at the hospital due to lack of space. The government is actively working to contain the outbreak (1).