A cholera outbreak in Mashonaland East and Central provinces that claimed at least 11 lives is now under control, the state-controlled Herald reported on Tuesday.
The Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr David Parirenyatwa said the epidemic taskforce committee was on the lookout for any suspected cholera cases in Nyamukuyo Village in Mudzi.
”We are no longer receiving overwhelming reports on cholera from Mudzi. The outbreak is under control,” he told the paper.
Dr Parirenyatwa said although some areas were inaccessible because of the recent floods, the situation was ”under control”.
In Mashonaland Central Province’s Muzarabani area, the provincial civil protection unit chairperson, Dr Cremence Chuma, who is the provincial medical director, said although nine cases were reported only one person was still being treated at Chadereka camp.
Eight others were treated and discharged.
Chuma said five malaria deaths have so far been confirmed, four of which were from Kairezi Village while the fifth was from Chadereka Village.
The cholera, according to Chuma, was believed to have originated from fish brought in from Mozambique, the Herald said.
”The situation is under control but we are still expecting more reports on the outbreak,” said Chuma.
Minister Parirenyatwa said Zimbabwe recorded more cholera outbreaks during 2006 and 2007 than previous years because of sewage bursts and erratic water supplies.
More diarrhoea cases were reported during the same period in the high-density suburbs of Mabvuku, Tafara, and Hatcliffe and Chitungwiza.
In Mabvuku and Tafara, nearly 800 residents were treated for watery diarrhoea, the paper said.
To minimise diarrhoea cases, Dr Parirenyatwa urged residents to boil drinking water, wash hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet. – Sapa