KAMPALA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has been reported dead while 60 others are hospitalized following an outbreak of cholera in the northern Uganda district of Lamwo, health officials said Monday.

Denis Ocula, the district health officer for Lamwo, said in a written statement obtained by Xinhua that the initial cases were reported early last week in the sub-county of Agoro.

"All the cases presented with vomiting, acute watery diarrhea, dehydration and general body weaknesses with no fever," Ocula noted.

He said stool samples were collected from the suspected cases and seven turned positive on Jan. 10.

The health official said the outbreak of the disease could have resulted from poor sanitation and hygiene as people were drawing water from unprotected water sources.

According to the official, a task force had been put in place to carry out community sensitization about the use of handwashing facilities, safe water usage and proper fecal disposal. "We have also carried out orientation of more health workers from private and public facilities on cholera case identification, case management and reporting," Ocula said.

He warned that the affected sub-country remains a high-risk area as it was located at the border with South Sudan and people continued crossing into the country in big numbers.

Cholera is a serious acute infectious disease characterized by watery diarrhea and vomiting, according to the World Health Organization. Enditem

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