Jan 13 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic has killed more than 2,000 people and almost 40,000 have contracted the normally preventable disease, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

Cholera has also spread to Zimbabwe's neighbours with at least 13 deaths and 1,419 cases recorded in South Africa.

Here are some details about cholera and recent outbreaks in Africa:

* RECENT OUTBREAKS IN AFRICA:

DIED INFECTED DATE ZIMBABWE 2,024 39,806 Jan. 09 D.R. CONGO 92 3,091 Sept. 08 GUINEA-BISSAU 213 12,785 Nov. 08

400+ 25,000 2005 SUDAN (south) 44 6,000 Aug. 08

700 25,000 2006 ANGOLA 1,893 46,758 June 2006

* WHAT IS CHOLERA?

-- Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Transmission is through faecal-oral contamination or ingesting contaminated water and food.

-- It is characterised in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhoea that can lead to death by severe dehydration and kidney failure.

-- The extremely short incubation period -- two hours to five days -- enhances the potentially explosive pattern of outbreaks, as the number of cases can rise very quickly.

* HOW IS CHOLERA TREATED?:

-- Cholera is treated by replacing lost fluid and salts. People are treated with prepackaged mixtures of sugar and salts that are mixed with water and drunk in large quantities.

-- Severe cholera cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, fewer than 1 percent of cholera patients die.

Sources: Reuters/WHO

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