BUJUMBURA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 new cases of cholera have been declared in western Burundi, the health ministry said here on Tuesday evening in a press briefing.

"In total, until today (Tuesday), 22 cholera patients are under treatment at Princ Regent Charles Hospital in the municipality of Bujumbura. Three patients have been admitted in Gatumba, and five are in Rugombo in cholera treatment centers," said Polycarpe Ndayizeye, spokesperson for the Burundian Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control.

Ndayizeye urged administration authorities and all residents in affected areas as well as all stakeholders, including the Burundi Red Cross, to contribute to the fight against cholera.

"The health ministry calls on all people residing in Burundi, especially those living in affected districts, to abide by hygiene rules," said Ndayizeye.

Earlier this year, cholera killed two persons in the health district of Bujumbura, precisely at the Kajaga beach on Lake Tanganyika.

Water shortages are often reported in the western part of Burundi, especially during the country's dry season, extending from May to September, causing cholera outbreaks almost every year. Enditem

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