Story highlights At least 30 people have died and 893 are thought to be infected

"The main challenge and source of this outbreak is the use of contaminated water in the affected areas and poor food hygiene," official says

Malawi has been facing a cholera outbreak since late 2017

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) At least 30 people have died and 893 are ill in a cholera outbreak in Malawi, the health ministry said Thursday.

The disease outbreak which began last November in Karonga, northern Malawi has spread to 13 districts in the country, a spokesman for the ministry, Joshua Malango told CNN.

The drinking of contaminated water and poor food hygiene practices in affected areas have been blamed for the cholera outbreak, the ministry said.

Malango told CNN that heads of affected districts have banned the sale of cooked food in market places in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease in the country.

"Prepared food in markets have been banned by our district councils now," Malango told CNN.

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