Further cholera deaths in Limpopo

Two more people have died of cholera in Limpopo, the provincial health department said on Friday.

Spokesperson Phuti Seloba said the two died in Tubatse last week and 19 more cases have been reported in Musina and Modimbo.

This put the death toll at 10 since November 16.

“A third person died on his way to hospital,” he said, adding that the department was still to determine whether this person was infected with the disease.

To date, there were 21 suspected cases of cholera in Botlokwa in the Molemole municipality, while there were 10 confirmed cases in the Ga-Matlala area, Seloba said.

However, he was adamant that this did not mean there was an outbreak in the province.

“We are continuing with our door-to-door campaign in all those areas, ensuring that those families take responsibility,” he said.

Last week, the Limpopo provincial government declared the cholera-hit Vhembe area a disaster area.

Seloba said the Health Department had partnered with the Water Affairs and Forestry Department to intensify the campaign, adding that they were still trying to establish where people contracted the disease.

After conducting tests, the department and other research institutions concluded that both water in the Limpopo catchment area and water from taps in Musina and Modimbo had tested negative for the disease.

“Where surface water in the Limpopo River was present and samples were taken, all tested negative for the presence of vibrio cholera,” said department spokesperson Themba Khumalo.

“However, the Limpopo did test positive for toxigenic vibrio cholera strains at Beitbridge—where the waste water facility of the town is discharging effluent into the river—and at the Nwanedi River confluence.”

Khumalo said although it could be concluded that the Mozambique Limpopo waters were not polluted with Cholera, its absence did not necessarily mean the river was clean and its water fit for human consumption.

“Disease prevention measures should still apply” he said.

On Friday, the United Nations said the death toll from Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic had reached 1 123, with suspected cases now at 20 896.—Sapa