Cholera, malaria battle feared
2003-11-14 17:26
Nelspruit - At least two Mpumalanga villagers have died of cholera and five others have been hospitalised in what authorities fear is an outbreak.
Health spokesperson Dumisani Mlangeni said on Thursday that authorities were on high alert after an unnamed woman and son died at Verulam farm near the historic mine-town of Barberton at the weekend.
The woman's husband, who also has cholera, is in a stable condition in Barberton hospital.
"When the man was checked into hospital, he explained that his wife had died earlier that day of the same diarrhoea, and later his son was hospitalised and died," said Mlangeni.
Three other villagers who were hospitalised in the same area this week with severe diarrhoea have since tested negative for cholera, but a fourth man has cholera and is being treated.
Mlangeni said investigators are puzzled about the cause of the outbreak, because all those affected used treated tap water.
The outbreak comes just weeks after health officials contained cholera infections in nearby Nkomazi, where one person died and 11 were diagnosed with the water-borne disease.
Mlangeni advised villagers who still use canal or river water to first boil or treat the water with bleach before drinking.
Cholera symptoms include watery diarrhoea and is often accompanied by vomiting, muscle cramps and may lead to severe dehydration. It is curable if treated early.
Mpumalanga health authorities are meanwhile also battling a malaria outbreak 150km away in the mountain town of Lydenburg.
The outbreak has claimed at least four lives and 37 other people have been hospitalised with severe fevers in the Lydenburg and Matibidi hospitals since October 17.
"We are shocked at the sheer number of malaria patients being admitted to hospitals because this area is cool and is high altitude - which in the past meant it was considered a low risk area," said Mlangeni.
Mpumalanga's health department has therefore deployed a full Malaria Control Team to the area, including DDT spraying and education programmes.
"We are conducting a comprehensive survey of the region, checking if there are other unreported cases. While we're in the field, our officials are also teaching villagers about preventative methods and symptoms of the disease, " he said.
Malaria is carried by mosquitoes, who pass it to humans when they bite. The disease's symptoms include fever attacks, chills, and sweats that are fatal if untreated.
Malaria is considered one of the most widespread diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and is believed to claim over two million lives a year.