KATHMANDU, July 31: As many as 20 persons have been diagnosed with cholera in different parts of the country as of Tuesday. 

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, said that 20 persons from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Kailali districts tested positive for the cholera bacteria. 

Unsafe drinking water supply and polluted ecological hygiene as well as impacts on water and sanitation infrastructure due to floods and landslides have fueled the increasing number of cholera patients in Nepal, Dr Budhathoki said. 

It is said that the disease might have spread due to the consumption of contaminated water in the wake of monsoon rains. 

Doctors have urged everyone to maintain proper hygiene with the consumption of pure drinking water and sanitation in place. 

Diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, yellow urine, low blood pressure, and sunken eyes are some of the symptoms of cholera. If the persons suffering from these symptoms are not treated on time, 50 per cent of the patients may succumb to the disease, Dr Budhathoki said.