MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - A cholera epidemic which has killed over 4,000 people since last August in Zimbabwe is over, the country's health minister said on Thursday.

"The nation experienced the worst cholera outbreak, but the epidemic has successfully been contained and has ended," Henry Madzorera said in an interview with The Herald newspaper.

However he warned that water and sanitation problems meant a repeat of the epidemic could not be ruled out.

The last confirmed cholera case in the country was recorded on July 3 near Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. In total, 98,585 cases of cholera and 4,287 deaths from the disease were reported in the country.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe announced the end of the epidemic at the end of 2008, but his claims were dismissed by the World Health Organization (WHO).