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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
HARARE City Council continues to report a spike in typhoid cases with another six confirmed cases taking the total to 26 in the past week alone.
By Friday last week, a total of 99 suspected typhoid cases had been reported, up from 72. The six additional confirmed cases were reported in Glen Norah which has become a typhoid hotspot.
The epicentre of the outbreak, which is predominantly in Glen Norah and Mbare, is suspected to be contamination of the water sources in these areas, mostly boreholes.
Typhoid’s sole means of transmission is from people drinking water or eating food contaminated with the faecal matter of an infected person.
Recently, the city decommissioned 15 boreholes that were found to be contaminated with faecal matter. This was after three boreholes were decommissioned late last year when the outbreak was first detected.
All the affected boreholes have since been recommissioned after being fitted with in-line chlorinators to ensure that water is treated at the point of collection.
City epidemiology and disease control officer Dr Michael Vere said the testing of water samples from boreholes was continuing to eliminate the threat posed by contaminated water.
“We continue to monitor the issue of contaminated boreholes so that we can quickly identify sources of outbreaks. We are testing more boreholes but so far we have not recorded further contamination in those that have been tested.
“We are also conducting awareness campaigns and our teams are moving around the area educating the communities on how to prevent typhoid. We are also distributing aqua tablets which help to make sure that drinking water is safe,” he said.
The country has over the past decade experienced several outbreaks of typhoid as well as cholera and on almost all occasions, the source of the outbreaks was contaminated water sources.
As a result of the current typhoid outbreak, the Government has also activated cholera surveillance, as cases are being recorded in the region.
Dr Vere said officials were on high alert and were monitoring the cholera disease trends in Malawi.
“We are testing all diarrhoea samples for cholera to ensure we can quickly detect if there is a cholera case in Harare. So far we have not reported any cholera,” he said.
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening systemic infection which is only spread through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.
It is almost always associated with poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water, in both urban and rural settings.
Both problems exist in most parts of Harare owing to lack of maintenance and expansion of sewers and water supplies in the last two decades.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director, Mr Itai Rusike, said the recurrent outbreaks of typhoid fever were a cause for concern.
“In view of the ongoing and persisting typhoid outbreaks, we would like to encourage the residents of the affected communities to visit their nearest health facilities for any febrile or vague illness for early treatment.
“Treatment of water at the point of use by boiling or using aquatabs remains important looking at the continued failure by the urban local authorities to avail adequate water,” he said.
Water and sanitation were essential for good health outcomes and sustainable development.
Many parts of the city have continually been experiencing water shortages as council has been struggling to provide constant supply due to lack of water treatment chemicals and others.
“Interruption of water supplies, overcrowding of sanitation facilities and difficulties with urban waterborne sanitation during periods of water cuts means that urban households are vulnerable to unhealthy environments.
“There are a range of urban problems resulting in perennial typhoid outbreaks such as the aging and unrepaired sewer systems, waste put in sewers due to poor waste collection, illegal waste dumps, overflowing septic tanks, frequent water and power cuts. Most sewerage reticulation systems and treatment works are in a state of disrepair, raising the risk of diarrhoeal diseases including typhoid,” said Mr Rusike.
The Government last year introduced typhoid vaccination campaigns targeting children between the ages of 9 months and 15 years with the vaccine now incorporated in routine immunisation to protect children from diarrhoeal diseases.
Online Reporter