Nineteen high school students are sick after the latest cholera outbreak in east China, local health authorities said Friday.

Some students at Wucheng'en High School in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, began showing the symptoms of fever, sore throat, bellyache, diarrhea and vomiting on Sept. 2. They were initially diagnosed as suffering from food poisoning.

But after doctors detected cholera bacteria in the students' excrement samples, local health and disease control authorities declared a cholera outbreak on Sept. 6, the statement said.

In addition to the 19 confirmed cases, one student was diagnosed as a "healthy carrier," or a person who was infected with the cholera bacteria but displays no symptoms. However, "healthy carriers" can transmit the bacteria to others.

"Currently, all patients are in stable conditions after having received treatment. There are no severe cases," the statement said.

Local health authorities are working to trace the source of the epidemic.

The last cholera outbreak in Jiangsu occurred in 1994-1995.

The provincial health department has warned Jiangsu is likely to confront a new period of cholera outbreaks and called for strengthened disease-prevention measures.

Last month, some 38 people fell ill after a cholera outbreak in Mengcheng County in east China's Anhui Province.

Local residents blamed low hygiene awareness levels and street food stalls for the outbreak.

In the wake of the outbreak, local authorities shut down street food stalls and restaurants for disinfection.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2010)