ZIMBABWE:Typhoid outbreak in the City

 The Director of Health services has reported that there is outbreak of typhoid in Harare's suburb of Mbare.Up to now 30 people have been admitted and treated for typhoid.He continued by saying the infection is spread to Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa,.This outbreak is due to contaminated boreholes that are decommissioned ."We have patients from Dzivarasekwa Extension. Administratively, it is under Mashonaland West, but because of the proximity to Harare city, they came to our clinics. We admitted 15 of them at Beatrice Infectious Hospital, with seven being confirmed to have typhoid, but they have now been discharged, while other are still coming” he said .Dr Chonzi he insist on good practise of personal hygiene,solid management and do not eat any food that it source is unknown.
He said in practising good personal hygiene, people should be made to understand that borehole water is not safe as well as washing hands after visiting ablution facilities, buying food from licensed premises as well as using aqua tablets and Water Guard.
“Harare water may have some odour or colour, but in terms of pathogens that cause typhoid, this would have been treated. This notion, where people think or assume that borehole water is much safer than municipal water need to be re-looked at. People need to appreciate that, yes municipal water might not look too good, but it is safer than some of these water sources,” he said.
In controlling this outbreak they have taken immediate by contacted Mashonaland West provincial medical director, who sent his team to assist Harare to educate the residents in health promotion and education while further steps are taken.