Cholera outbreak has claimed the lives of five persons from a single district in India's western state of Maharashtra and another 181 people have fallen sick, state government officials said Thursday. The water-borne disease outbreak was found in four villages in Amravati district of the state, 669 km east of Mumbai. Read: 6,789 people infected with cholera in Ethiopia: UN Maharashtra's state government has deployed a team to investigate the outbreak and provide guidance, and the state's public health department has sounded alert across the state asking all districts to take adequate steps to curb the spread of the disease amid rains and floods.  

The rival Koreas have agreed to suspend operations at their liaison office in North Korea until the new virus outbreak comes under control.

Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals Sunday following a viral outbreak in Wuhan, saying they will "severely investigate and punish" violators.

The outbreak of a new virus linked to a wildlife market in central China is prompting renewed calls for enforcement of laws against the trade in and consumption of exotic species.

China moved to lock down at least three cities with a combined population of more than 18 million in an unprecedented effort to contain the deadly new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and spread to other parts of the world during the busy Lunar New Year holiday.

U.S. health officials disclosed another food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, but they said it appears to be over.