Diarrhoea cases increase in Bulawayo

The local authority’s senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu yesterday confirmed the development although she could not readily avail the figures of cases recorded so far.

“We are, however, recording an increase in watery diarrhoea in children aged below five years. This was experienced during the same period last year and was attributed to infection by rotavirus,” said Mrs Mpofu.

According to Wikipedia, rotavirus is a virus that infects the intestinal tract of almost all young children by the age of five years. She said there was a need for caregivers to bring children to the clinics early so that they could be examined and given adequate treatment.

“They should bring them early so that they are treated to avoid complications of dehydration,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She said to curb the disease, heath education should be focused on good hygiene practices.

“To deal with the disease there is a need for a supply of portable water and safe disposal of human waste,” said Mrs Mpofu. She said no cholera case has been reported in Bulawayo in recent months.

In July last year about 13 children died at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo after a diarrhoea outbreak caused by rotavirus, while 35 cases of diarrhoea, all of them involving children, were reported at Gweru Provincial Hospital.

A number of children also died in Harare, Gweru and Masvingo. Last year the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Gerald Gwinji, said at least 500 000 children die worldwide from diarrhoeal diseases caused by the rotavirus.

In the past, the country has recorded infants’ deaths annually due to a contagious infection that causes severe diarrhoea in winter.

Diarrhoea — which mostly affects children below the age of 10 years — is excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually indicating gastrointestinal distress or disorder.

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the bowel.

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare has since introduced two new vaccines for children aged five years and under to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia and diarrhoea and would soon be slotted into the vaccination schedule.