An outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has killed 10 people over the past two weeks and more than 1,200 people have the illness.

Those affected are being treated at the main hospital in the regional capital, Mekelle.

The authorities have put the spread of the disease down to unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene culture, and have identified contaminated holy water in some of the region's monasteries as being behind the outbreak.

It is thought that the water is being taken from rivers that are carrying the disease.

Interfering in religious affairs is a very sensitive matter there, but the local government is working with religious leaders to temporarily stop the use of holy water.

The authorities say that the disease is under control but efforts to contain it needs to continue until it disappears altogether.(BBC)