A 73-year-old Mpumalanga woman is the first person to die of cholera in the province.  

Her death was reported by the provincial health department.

The elderly woman, from Phaphamang Section in Phake, Dr JS Moroka, was admitted to Mmametlhake Hospital last Thursday with diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Mpumalanga Health spokesperson Mandla Zwane said the family thought she was reacting to fish she ate during the day.

"She was also a known patient on hypertension treatment. However, when she got to the hospital, a cholera sample was taken and forwarded to the laboratory for investigation. The results came back positive," Zwane said. 

He said the patient died on Wednesday at the hospital.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said two new cholera deaths were recorded in the past seven days.

To date, Cholera has claimed 23 lives in Hammanskraal, one in Free State and another one in Mpumalanga.

"The Department of Health has deployed an outbreak response team in Dr JS Moroka to investigate possible sources of infection and for contact tracing. The team will conduct intensive community awareness campaigns. Communities are advised to be highly alert for cholera," Zwane said.

According to the health department, cholera is a diarrhoeal disease caused by the vibrio cholera bacteria.

The symptoms include sudden diarrhoea, which is painless, watery diarrhoea (rice stool), nausea and vomiting. In children it presents as a fever, while some individuals do not fall ill.

The disease spreads through the ingestion/drinking of contaminated water with human faeces.

It may start from a few hours to five days of infection. The department said anyone who presents with diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting should immediately seek medical assistance at a local health facility.