RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 2

Posted:2010-03-10, 04:18:18 [UTC]

Ref.no.: EH-20100310-25259-ZWE

Situation Update No. 2
On 2010-03-12 at 04:15:37 [UTC]

Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: Zimbabwe Mashonaland East Mabvuku Harare

Number of Deads: 5 person(s)
Number of Infected: 45 person(s)

Confirmed typhoid cases in Mabvuku have risen to 45 amid unconfirmed reports of another death from the disease in the same suburb. Last week Harare City Council officials said five people died while 35 others had been treated for typhoid. However, yesterday city health services director Dr Stanley Mungofa dismissed reports of the deaths. Regardless, Mabvuku residents said a man from Mhonda Street died after displaying typhoid symptoms yesterday morning. Dr Mungofa said they were offering free treatment. "Nobody will be denied treatment at the council clinics. "The number of confirmed cases has risen to 45 and we suspect there could be more as many are still being reported in the community. "We have started campaigns to raise awareness of the disease among residents in the suburb," he said. Dr Mungofa said council, Government, the World Health Organisation and Unicef were monitoring the situation. He appealed to the public to exercise strict hygiene practices and avoid drinking water from unsafe sources. Nyamaturi Street residents in Mabvuku yesterday said many people had been treated for the disease while others in the area said the outbreak could be linked to an unprotected well there. Mrs Loice Chimbwanda said: "We only got water two weeks ago after the first cases were reported but we had gone for close to six months without water. "There was also no refuse collection during that period. We are disheartened that council acts only when there are disease outbreaks before attending to service delivery." Typhoid fever is transmitted by ingestion of food or water contaminated with an infected person’s waste. Symptoms usually develop one to three weeks after exposure. It is characterised by slowly progressing fever reaching about 40 degrees Celsius, profuse sweating and non-bloody diarrhoea. Untreated typhoid fever manifests itself through headaches, coughing, nose bleeds and abdominal pains.