The simultaneous outbreaks of cholera as well as a flu-like illness in a far-flung region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), has become a cause of concern for the health officials - more so as the illnesses have affected nearly 2,000 villagers and killed almost 47, since August 3.

As per the health officials, 95 percent of the cases of the twin outbreaks have been reported from a remote village in Morobe Province, which is on the northwest coast of the Pacific nation. However, despite the fact that the village is a small one, the magnitude of the illnesses has apparently gone beyond the control of the health officials.

The outbreak of the illnesses has also been confirmed by a medical team of the World Health Organization, and the health minister of PNG, Sasa Zibe, has ordered the concerned officials to take the requisite steps to contain the spread of the diseases. Zibe has cautioned that if more people get affected by the acute intestinal infection, with cholera symptoms, the country's already "fragile health system" will be strained.

About the outbreak, Dr Theo Likei, provincial health adviser, told AFP: "The problem is that once it gets started in remote areas it's very hard to stop and the area is hard to reach, but we are hoping the illness will remain isolated to pockets of the area so we can manage it."