Suspected typhoid in Mkoba

Midlands Correspondent
Gweru City Council is investigating a suspected typhoid case in Mkoba high density suburb following one death recorded last week.

Responding to questions raised at a state-of-the-city event in Gweru recently, former mayor Councillor Charles Chikozho said the city council health department was investigating a suspected typhoid outbreak in Mkoba.

This follows an upsurge in the number of people visiting health centres complaining of drinking contaminated water from the tap.

Typhoid usually occurs when water supplies serving large populations are contaminated by faecal matter.
It is then spread by contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person.
The illness can last for several weeks and even months undetected, leading to death.

“I can safely say the city health department is handling the situation where residents have been complaining about the state of water coming from their taps, which has caused what is suspected to be typhoid or dysentery,” said Cllr Chikozho.
Gweru city council was once fined by the Environmental Management Agency for discharging raw effluent into Gweru River.