A major diarrhea outbreak caused by a cholera virus in Laos' southern Xekong province has, since Dec. 25, affected 254 local people, of whom three died, Xinhua quoted Lao newspaper Vientiane Times as reporting. Recent tests have shown that the diarrhea outbreak is caused by cholera virus called vibrio cholerae 01 Ogawa, the newspaper quoted director of the Xekong Public Health Department, Bounpone Phoxayavong, as reporting. "We are concerned about the outbreak because this can have deadly effects on humans in a short space of time. We've heard that in the past large numbers of people have died within a few days after contracting cholera because they were not able to obtain treatment in time," said Bounpone. Bounpone said the department receives new reports of cases almost every day. Doctors failed to keep the outbreak under control because the local authorities were unable to prevent people from traveling in and out of the affected areas, he noted. "Once the disease was first identified, we issued an order forbidding people to leave their villages but many of them ignored the order so it has been difficult to stop it spreading," he added. He said the local authorities have deployed guards around the affected areas to prevent people from leaving and entering.
