The Associated Press contributed to this report. Health authorities in the east Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak were on alert Monday to battle a cholera epidemic threatening to spread from peninsular Malaysia to the west. Peninsular Malaysia is the westernmost of the country's two main land masses, which are separated by the South China Sea. The epidemic has spread quickly throughout the 11 states of peninsular Malaysia, with nearly 1,000 cases of cholera reported last week, many of them on the resort island of Penang. A government spokesman said all airports and sea ports in Malaysia have been alerted to check anyone with cholera symptoms.
Cholera is a bacteria-produced diarrheal disease.
A person can become infected by drinking water or eating food contaminated by the bacterium. Common sources of infection are raw or poorly cooked seafood, raw fruit and vegetables, and other foods that have been contaminated during preparation or storage. Yesterday's Briefs Feedback Send us your comments. Selected responses are posted daily. External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.