(Adds details, paragraphs 3-4)

BEIJING, Oct 31 (Reuters) - China's southern resort island of Hainan has confirmed 30 cholera cases and nearly 300 suspected cases in the past few days, the provincial government said on Friday.

No deaths had been reported, the government website said, but Xinhua news agency said on Thursday an 8-year-old girl had died of congenital heart disease triggered by suspected cholera.

The cases were confined to one municipal region, and the outbreak traced to a village dinner party held in the middle of October, Xinhua said.

Of the confirmed cases, 25 had been cured, while five remained in hospital, the agency added.

Cholera is transmitted by contaminated water or food. At its most acute, it causes diarrhoea that can lead to death by severe dehydration and kidney failure. (Reporting by Ian Ransom and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Paul Tait)

AlertNet news is provided by