Malaria cases drop in Limpopo

2006-01-26 08:50

Sizwe samaYende

Polokwane - Reports of malaria in Limpopo have been dropping since the initial peak just before Christmas.

But current rainfall and heat may result in another flood of cases, warned provincial health spokesperson Sophy Sekole on Wednesday.

"We expect that the numbers might peak at the end of January or the first week of February due to the rains and heat,? Sekole said.

The high risk areas are the Vhembe, Mopani and Bohlabela districts. These include the towns of Thohoyandou, Giyani and Bushbuckridge.

Sekole said 1 278 malaria cases have been reported so far.

In December, a total number of 161 cases were reported. In January, the number of reported cases dropped steadily each week, from 662 between January 1 and January 7, to 315 from January 8 to 14, to 140 between January 15 and January 18.

Sekole said that only 40 patients were still being treated for malaria at 10 hospitals throughout the three districts. No one is in a critical condition and no deaths have been reported, she said.

"The department is still educating people about ways to prevent the spread of malaria and we are continuing to spray households (with anti-mosquito poisons)," she added.

An estimated 1,5 million people worldwide die from the disease every year. More than 80% of malaria cases occur in tropical Africa.

Malaria is transmitted to human beings by the bite of a female anopholese mosquito that is infected with the malaria parasite.

Malaria can cause kidney or liver failure, coma and even death if not treated in time.

- African Eye