Ten suffer food poisoning in Kunene

Ten people were treated for food poisoning at the Opuwo State Hospital on Christmas Day.

Kunene regional health inspector Barbara Kahiha told Nampa that four people at Okorosave village got sick after eating fried chicken that had been kept in a plastic bag for a few days. Six others at Opuwo had become ill after eating fried chicken a day earlier.

All of them have since been discharged from hospital.

Okorosave is situated about 25km west of the regional capital, Opuwo.

Kahiha said food poisoning in Kunene is common due to the high level of poverty in the region.

Kunene is one of the poorest regions in Namibia, with about 70% of people living below the poverty line.

It was recently reported that some people in this region have to wrestle with dogs over animal skins to eat.

Last year six people died of food poisoning at Otjikondavirongo village in the Epupa Constituency.

Kahiha described food poisoning as an illness caused by eating food contaminated by bacteria such as salmonella or Escherichia coli (E. coli), or a virus, such as the norovirus.

Most people get better within a few days with or without treatment. In exceptional cases, food poising can be fatal.