A total of 22 cases of cholera had been confirmed as of Oct. 29 in Danzhou and Lingao, two counties in southernmost China's Hainan Province, since Oct. 20 when the first case was found, local health authorities said on Thursday.

One child died of congenital heart disease triggered by suspected cholera, said Bai Zhiqin, director with the Provincial Health Bureau.

These 22 patients remained hospitalized.

The bureau also reported 300 further suspected cholera cases.

Local government provided free medical treatment, set up quarantines, and the epidemic has been brought under control, Bai said.

Most of the patients were only slightly affected by the waterborne disease, whose symptoms are painless diarrhea and vomiting but no fever.

Such acute intestinal epidemics as cholera, typhoid fever and diarrhea are more common in autumn. In addition, Hainan is a region where intestinal epidemics easily break out because of the hot climate.

Local health authorities attributed the outbreak of cholera mainly to unclean diets and unclean water.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2008)