Via the Zambia Daily Mail: Cholera breaks out in Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi. Excerpt:
Six cases of cholera have been recorded in Kapiri Mposhi and Kabwe, health authorities in the two districts have confirmed.
In an interview on Monday, Kapiri Mposhi medical officer Charles Mwenuna said three cases of cholera have been recorded in the district and that the victims have been admitted to Waya Rural Health Centre where a cholera bay has been opened.
And Kabwe district medical officer Abel Kabalo also confirmed in a separate interview that three people have been admitted to Makululu cholera bay where they are receiving treatment.
Dr Mwenuna said the samples that were collected last week from some patients in the Lukanga Swamp and tested at Kabwe General Hospital revealed that three of them had cholera.
He said seven people were admitted to Waya Rural Health Centre and health authorities collected samples from five of them out of whom three tested positive to cholera.
Dr Mwenuna attributed the outbreak of cholera at Waya and Ngweni fishing camps to poor sanitation in the Lukanga Swamp.
“The sanitary conditions in the Lukanga Swamp are bad, the water is contaminated and there are no toilets. What we have done is to give liquid chlorine to fishermen at Waya and Ngweni fishing camps.
“We have also continued our health education on a daily basis to encourage people to maintain high levels of hygiene,” he said.
Dr Mwenuna said people at Waya and Ngweni fishing camps are being advised to quickly report to Waya Rural Health Centre whenever they have symptoms of cholera.
And Dr Kabalo said by Monday morning, three people who were confirmed to have cholera were receiving treatment in Kabwe.
“As of today (Monday), we recorded two cases at the Makululu cholera bay,” Dr Kabalo said.
He said his office has put Kabwe on high alert following the outbreak of cholera in the Lukanga Swamp.
