Hanoi, Hai Phong and the provinces of Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh earlier reported outbreaks of acute diarrhea, some cases of which were confirmed as being caused by cholera bacteria.

The Hai Phong Health Department on Sunday reported that 16 of 33 patients hospitalized with acute diarrhea had tested positive for cholera.

Most of the patients said they had recently eaten dog meat, raw vegetables or used ice in their drinks, the department reported, adding that officials had yet to find any cholera bacterium in cooking consumed in the province.

In Thanh Hoa Province, patients from Quang Xuong and Tinh Gia districts were confirmed Sunday as having cholera, increasing the number of afflicted northern districts to eight.

As of Sunday, 19 individuals in Thanh Hoa were suffering from cholera.

The Bureau of Preventive Health and Environment Sunday warned of a widespread outbreak of the disease. It instructed local agencies to step up early detection of suspected cases to offer timely treatment and prevent the spread of the potentially deadly disease.

Although there are no official figures yet, the number of individuals suffering acute diarrhea has reportedly increased over the past month, while health officials have found cholera bacteria in dog meat, both cooked and uncooked, in suburban Hanoi.

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology last week reported samples of dog meat taken from slaughterhouses in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District had tested positive for the cholera bacterium.

The institute also teamed up last week with Thanh Hoa Province’s Center for Preventive Health to take samples of dog meat.

Household businesses in Thanh Loc Commune of the province’s Hau Loc District usually supply up to seven tons of dog meat to the northern market.

Cholera bacteria has been found in nearby water sources in the commune and 10 residents have reported acute diarrhea as of Sunday. Two of them have tested positive for cholera.

Reported by Thanh Nien staff