The wave of cholera continues to strike two more provinces of Vietnam, raising the number of localities hit by the disease to 15, the local newspaper New Hanoi reported Thursday.

The two newly-confirmed northern Yen Bai province and central Nghe An province of Vietnam had reported cases of the vibrio cholera infection, according to the Vietnam's Ministry of Health.

Since the cholera epidemic broke out in Vietnam in April this year, the number of people who contracted the disease has kept rising though official statistics have not been calculated yet.

The ministry warned the country of high risk of an acute diarrhea outbreak in many other provinces of Vietnam in the coming days.

To combat and prevent acute diarrhea from spreading, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen asked provincial health departments to work with their respective people's committees to form steering committees to monitor and deal with the outbreaks in a thorough manner.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)