Zimbabwe: Cholera Outbreak Hits Resort Town of Kariba, One Death and 14 Suspected Cases Recorded

A CHOLERA outbreak is threatening to devastate the resort town of Kariba, Mashonaland West province, where one person has died, and 14 others are suspected to be suffering from the medieval disease.

The outbreak has been noted at Gache Gache fishing camp and Nyamhunga village.

According to State media, Kariba district civil protection unit and district development coordinator, El Shaddai Gumbochuma the outbreak has so far claimed one life.

“One person has died and has since been buried. The sick ones are receiving treatment at Gache Gache Clinic,” said Gumbochuma.

There are fears the highly mobile fishmongers will spread the disease in Kariba and surrounding areas.

A situational report released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care Sunday, November 10, indicated that there were no new deaths in the last 24 hours, but so far there were 14 cumulative suspected cases.

The ministry is making frantic efforts to contain the spread of the outbreak by sharing vital preventive information among communities and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes gloves, aprons, plastic covers, surgical masks protective clothing, especially to relatives of sufferers, and Village Health Workers (VHW) during burials.

Surveillance is ongoing in the communities in Kariba Ward 2, which incorporates the fishing camp while community cholera awareness is ongoing.

Further there is ongoing Inspection of water points in Nyamhunga village including the health facility borehole, which also serves the same community. Water samples were taken for bacteriological analysis and awaiting results.

By New Zimbabwe.