Cholera outbreak in Windhoek
A ten-year-old Windhoek boy has been diagnosed with cholera, the health ministry has confirmed.
This comes at a time when neighbouring Zambia is struggling to contain a cholera outbreak which killed 51 people and made over 2 000 others ill in the capital Lusaka in the first week of January alone.According to a statement from ministry of health permanent secretary Petronella Masabane, the boy was admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital on Thursday, 25 January after he and another boy who had shared a sausage fell ill in class and started vomiting. The affected boy is attending the People's Primary School in Katutura.
Both boys developed diarrhoea and were taken to hospital by their parents, who initially suspected food poisoning.
“A rapid response team that included the district surveillance officer, two environmental health practitioners and other medical staff visited the house of the confirmed case to carry out an investigation,” said Masabane.
According to her, the affected households were given health education and other cases were being monitored.
No other case has been reported so far.
Masabane said medical personnel were placed on alert for the disease, while communities were being kept informed by community leaders and health workers.
Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards cholera as an important public health problem globally.
JEMIMA BEUKES
This comes at a time when neighbouring Zambia is struggling to contain a cholera outbreak which killed 51 people and made over 2 000 others ill in the capital Lusaka in the first week of January alone.According to a statement from ministry of health permanent secretary Petronella Masabane, the boy was admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital on Thursday, 25 January after he and another boy who had shared a sausage fell ill in class and started vomiting. The affected boy is attending the People's Primary School in Katutura.
Both boys developed diarrhoea and were taken to hospital by their parents, who initially suspected food poisoning.
“A rapid response team that included the district surveillance officer, two environmental health practitioners and other medical staff visited the house of the confirmed case to carry out an investigation,” said Masabane.
According to her, the affected households were given health education and other cases were being monitored.
No other case has been reported so far.
Masabane said medical personnel were placed on alert for the disease, while communities were being kept informed by community leaders and health workers.
Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards cholera as an important public health problem globally.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article