A cholera outbreak has ravaged Orissa's tribal-dominated Kalahandi, Koraput and Rayagada districts since early August. The state government says the region has reported 119 deaths so far. About 6,000 people have been treated for cholera and other stomach diseases.

The state's disease surveillance unit says, however, "not all the deaths are due to cholera infection. Tests conducted on 43 samples collected from patients in the affected villages show the presence of cholera bacteria (Vibrio cholerae) only in 31 cases.'
Disputed figures But opposition parties and aid workers dispute this claim.

"The Orissa government is using the term