Four Cholera cases reported in Bulawayo

Four  suspected Cholera cases have been reported in Bulawayo, with three people currently admitted to a city hospital.

According to information received by CITE, three people are currently receiving treatment at Thorngrove Hospital in the city.

The water borne disease has already claimed 28 lives in Harare, with government and various other stakeholders working hard to contain the disease.

Other cases have been reported in Masvingo and Midlands provinces.

Contacted for a comment, the local authority`s Senior Public Relations Officer, Nesisa Mpofu, confirmed to CITE that they were monitoring three people at the council-run health facility.

Mpofu, however, noted that they were still waiting for laboratory results to ascertain the actual cause of the diarrheal symptoms the patients were exhibiting.

Diarrhea is one of the symptoms of Cholera, which is caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and can kill within hours if untreated.

“Three people with diarrhea have been admitted to Thorngrove, that is 2 females and one male,” Mpofu confirmed.

Mpofu added that another case had been cited and the patient was being transported to the hospital.

Two of the patients were recently in Harare while one female patient recently travelled to Gweru and the fourth patient never left Bulawayo.

“One patient, a 38 year old resident of Emganwini, travelled to Harare two weeks ago and stayed in Glen view for two weeks. She developed diarrhoea yesterday while in the city centre and was rushed by Ambulance to Mpilo Hospital where she was forwarded to Thorngrove Hospital,” said Mpofu

“She was treated as a probable case of cholera according to the guidelines. She is stable and we await laboratory results before discharge”.

Mpofu said the patient who recently travelled to Gweru was exhibiting symptoms similar to those of Typhoid.

Typhoid has so far killed 10 people in Gweru.

“The second is a lady 18 years who spent a week in Gweru and presented to Thorngrove with symptoms more in keeping with typhoid. She was stable this afternoon and is likely to be sent home soon,” said Mpofu.

According to the local authority, the third patient, a Pumula resident did not travel outside the city in the last few weeks.

“The third patient is a 58 year old man from Pumula who never left Bulawayo and has no contact with a possible case of cholera. He very likely will be treated as any ordinary diarrhoea,’ said Mpofu..Two of the patients were recently in Harare while one female patient recently travelled to Gweru and the fourth patient never left Bulawayo

“He is a probable case of cholera and is being managed as such”.

Mpofu encouraged residents to practice good hygiene, by washing hands before meals and fruits under clean running water as well as practice good toilet hygiene and avoid shaking hands at large gatherings.