AN 18-year-old woman in Ratanakkiri province has died from acute diarrhoea contracted after she consumed contaminated water, marking the seventh such death in the province in the last two weeks, a health official said.

Huy Vannara, head of the provincial Communicable Diseases Control Department, said on Sunday that he did not recall the name of the latest victim, but noted that, in addition to the seven deaths, about 100 people suffering from diarrhoea have been rushed to hospitals or health centres since April 10.

“The ministry has promised to send some medical experts to find out the cause of the epidemic and the source of the disease so that effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease can be taken,” he said.

Meanwhile, a villager in Svay Rieng province died on Thursday and 10 others were rushed to hospital after contracting acute diarrhoea that health officials blamed on the consumption of unhygienic food.