9 cholera cases reported in central China

Nine cases of cholera have been confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, health authorities said Saturday. Nine people were diagnosed with the infectious disease after attending a wedding banquet at a hotel restaurant in the city of Huangshi on Oct. 3, according to a written statement issued by the provincial health department. An investigation showed that a hotel employee who served cold dishes at the banquet was a carrier, spreading the infection to some of the people who ate the dishes, according to the statement. Local authorities have issued a circular requiring restaurants to stop serving cold dishes and asking hospitals to closely monitor patients with diarrhea. Restaurant employees who have high fevers, diarrhea or infected wounds must cease working and go in for a medical examination, the statement said. The city is carrying out food safety inspections and closely monitoring water supplies and waste, as the disease is usually transmitted through water and food. Experts from the Ministry of Health joined local health workers Friday to help control the disease, the statement said.