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Trust Freddy Herald Correspondent
CHEGUTU has called for an urgent civil protection committee meeting in response to the discovery of a suspected case of cholera in Chegutu urban that has tested positive on preliminary tests conducted.
According to the Chegutu District Development Coordinator, Ms Dzosai Muzvidziwa, a 24-year-old male tested positive in the preliminary tests, but the Ministry of Health and Child Care has not yet made an official announcement.
Mrs Muzvidziwa said the district had activated the civil protection unity and was closely monitoring the situation.
“As per protocol one case of cholera is treated as an outbreak,” she said. “By virtue of this, our district civil protection committee has been activated and we are putting in places reaction team and subcommittees to try and minimize the spread of the disease.”
Mrs Muzvidziwa said the cause of the outbreak had not been ascertained and they could not immediately link the case to Malawi where the disease was wreaking havoc.
“We are still investigating on the actual causes through samples that were taken to be tested,” she said.
“I cannot comment on issues of Zambia or Malawi, but from what we have seen and gathered so far although its not confirmed I think probably its a case of contamination.”
As the civil protection unit, Mrs Muzvidziwa said they had convened their first meeting after receiving a report and another emergency meeting was scheduled for today.
When contacted for comment, the Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson Mr Donald Mujiri said they were yet to receive a report on the matter.
“We haven’t received any report, you can call any Provincial Medical Directorate from Mash West, Chegutu is under Mash West,” Mr Mujiri said.
The latest development comes amid fears of cholera outbreak after cases of the disease were recorded in Zambia and Malawi. Government is on high alert having activated its cholera surveillance system, with the authorities dispatching medical supplies used in managing cholera to health centres in suburbs considered hotspots.
In South Africa, Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, last week called for vigilance after the country recorded two laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera imported from Malawi.
Cholera is an acute enteric infection caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholera, and outbreaks usually occur in settings with inadequate sanitation and insufficient access to safe drinking water.
The disease typically causes acute watery diarrhoea and can affect people of all ages.
It mainly spreads through contaminated or polluted water, and people can become infected directly through drinking contaminated water, or indirectly through eating contaminated food.
The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
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