Twenty typhoid cases confirmed

Ashley Mujoma

AT least 20 cases of typhoid outbreak have been confirmed, with 72 suspected cases from the 92 reported, according to the Harare City Council Health Department’s epidemiology and disease control officer, Dr Michael Vere.

The typhoid cases have been recorded in Glen Norah and Mbare.

Dr Michael Vere told H-Metro that typhoid cases have significantly increased since the beginning of the rainy season.

“We found out that Glen Norah suburb was mainly affected by typhoid with 60 percent of the cases coming from that area since October 17 last year.

“We currently have a total of 92 cases, of which 20 are confirmed, while 72 are suspected cases. We have noticed that the age group mainly affected is zero to four years,” he said.

He said environmental assessments were done to ascertain the origin or cause of typhoid in the affected areas.

“We tested 127 boreholes in Mbare, Budiriro and Glen Norah, and results showed that seven boreholes in Glen Norah and eight in Mbare were contaminated.

“Those contaminated boreholes were temporally closed. We have also tested municipality water and it was found with enough residual choline, so it’s safe for drinking.”

He said there were efforts for the affected areas to be supplied with clean water.

“We are working with our Water Department so that affected suburbs get high water supplies,” he said.