Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=16356&cat=1

Typhoid outbreak claims five

By Paidamoyo Chipunza

FIVE people, who died from what was initially believed to be malaria in Mabvuku, actually succumbed to typhoid fever, Harare City Council?s health department has said.

City health services director Dr Stanley Mungofa said they had moved into the area where 40 other people have been infected.

"Some people might be carrying the bacteria, but do not show any signs of the water-borne disease so examinations will assist to detect carriers and potential cases early," he said.

Typhoid symptoms usually develop one to three weeks after exposure to the bacteria.

Dr Mungofa said as of Monday, 30 people were being treated at the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospi-tals.

He said they had positively identified the bacteria in five patients and were certain that they were dealing with an outbreak, though they were confident it could be contained...

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Source: http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/arti....aspx?id=34985

Typhoid spreads in Zimbabwe
Eyewitness News | 2 Hours Ago

Zimbabwean officials say typhoid is spreading in the country.

A hundred and sixty cases have been confirmed in one township alone and the authorities have stepped in to order medical tests for anyone handling food for the public.

Last week there were 40 suspected cases in Harare?s eastern Mabvuku township.

Now the city?s Director of Health Services said 160 people had been treated for typhoid.

Thirty seven typhoid patients are being treated in the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital which was overwhelmed by cholera patients during last year?s epidemic.

The authorities believe the typhoid came in from a neighbouring country but will not say which one.

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Source: http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/20100...th-crisis.html

Typhoid, measles raise fears of new health crisis Print
Written by SW Radio Africa.
Friday, 19 March 2010 12:32
typhoid_feverHARARE -- The number of cases of typhoid fever in Harare is increasing, raising fears of another serious health crisis in the country.

More than 140 cases of typhoid have been reported in the Mabvuku-Tafara suburb of Harare over the past two weeks. At least five people are known to have died so far from the mainly water borne disease.
Typhoid, which is very similar to cholera, is transmitted by food or water contaminated with waste from an infected person. The Harare City Council has now ordered all food handlers to undergo medical tests to try curb what appears to be the rapid spread of the disease.
Mabvuku-Tafara had only recently recovered from the outbreak of cholera in 2008 that left thousands of people dead across the country. The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has said there are now fears that typhoid will have the same impact, because the dilapidated and broken sanitation system and water infrastructure that caused the cholera outbreak remains unfixed.
The group expressed concern for the Harare suburb of Mufakose, where more than one hundred families have had their clean water supplies cut off by the council. The water cuts are related to an ongoing dispute over council water bills, which residents have reported are exorbitant.
The bills, often calculated on the basis of estimates, have also not taken into account the numerous times that there has been absolutely no water available. CHRA said in a statement that the added threat of typhoid in the city is reason enough for the council to ensure that clean water is readily available.
?CHRA urges the City of Harare to seriously consider the implications of disconnecting water supplies to residents, especially considering the fact that Harare is still vulnerable to diseases caused by acute water shortages. These residents have no other sources of water and it is likely that they will resort to unprotected water sources,? the group said in a statement.
At the same time, an outbreak of measles is having a devastating affect in Bulawayo, where a number of infant deaths has rocked the community. The country has been battling a nationwide measles outbreak since last September and there have been over 1800 cases and at least 75 deaths.
SW Radio Africa?s Bulawayo correspondent Lionel Saungweme said that many infants in the city have succumbed to the illness in recent weeks. He explained that there have been at last four infant deaths just in the area where he lives in the past month.
?These numbers will definitely rise because I know of seven other cases in my area,? Saungweme said. ?The communities are absolutely shocked and scared.?
Mobile measles immunisation units are being rolled out for children six years and younger, who are most at risk of contracting the illness.

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=17276&cat=1

Monday, April 05, 2010

Typhoid outbreak under control: City

Herald Reporter

TYPHOID, which struck Mabvuku high density suburb last month and claimed about eight lives leaving over 300 people infected, is now under control, a City health official has said.

Director of Health Services Dr Stanley Mungofa said daily reported cases have decreased from 10 cases to two.

"We can not say it is over because the nature of the disease that we are dealing with has an incubation period of up to four weeks before it manifests itself.

"Therefore there might be other cases, which are still dormant," Dr Mungofa said. "We appreciate efforts by our staff and supporting partners in responding to the outbreak. In the past week we have been seeing few people compared to the weeks the outbreak started. However, we would want to see all cases treated because a single case might infect a thousand others," he said.

There are 306 cases of typhoid reported to date...

[Shiloh]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201005040047.html

The Herald (Harare)
Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Council Tames Typhoid Outbreak

4 May 2010

Harare ? Authorities have largely tamed a typhoid outbreak that struck the densely populated high-density suburb of Mabvuku in February and claimed eight lives.

Addressing health officials in Harare yesterday after receiving a consignment of information, education and communication material from the National Health Care Trust a subsidiary of Econet Wireless in Harare, City of Harare director of health services (health institutions) Dr Stanley Mungofa said though typhoid cases continued to rise, the disease was spreading more slowly than before.

To date, 439 cases have been recorded.

"Typhoid is still with us but the pick-up level of the bacteria is now low. We can not say the disease is over because of its incubation period which takes up to four weeks before it manifests itself," Dr Mungofa said.

He said the city council was continuing with medical examinations in the affected community and had also intensified information dissemination on hygiene across Harare.

"We are happy that the particular location that is most affected by this outbreak has been having tap water since February.

"However, we have noted that people are no longer trusting this water source as safe and are preferring borehole water," Dr Mungofa said.

Acting Harare Mayor, Councillor Lancelot Mudavanhu called on health sector stakeholders to assist in rehabilitating boreholes sunk by Unicef last year.

Some of the boreholes have broken down due while others need servicing. Typhoid does not affect animals and can only be transmitted among humans...

[Treyfish]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Typhoid outbreak claims five

By Paidamoyo Chipunza

FIVE people, who died from what was initially believed to be malaria in Mabvuku, actually succumbed to typhoid fever, Harare City Council?s health department has said.

City health services director Dr Stanley Mungofa said they had moved into the area where 40 other people have been infected.

"Some people might be carrying the bacteria, but do not show any signs of the water-borne disease so examinations will assist to detect carriers and potential cases early," he said.

Typhoid symptoms usually develop one to three weeks after exposure to the bacteria.

Dr Mungofa said as of Monday, 30 people were being treated at the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospi-tals.

He said they had positively identified the bacteria in five patients and were certain that they were dealing with an outbreak, though they were confident it could be contained.

Dr Mungofa said council would also improve the supply of water to the suburb through deployment of bowsers and increased health awareness campaigns.

"Our health promoters are moving door-to-door emphasising sanitation and hygiene and seeing if there are any other new cases," he said.

Dr Mungofa urged people to stick to basic standards of hygiene such as washing hands before handling meals and after using the toilet.

He said people should also eat food while it is still hot and should not hesitate to seek medical attention once they observe any slight symptoms of typhoid.

Typhoid is transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the waste of an infected person.

It is characterised by a slowly progressive fever as high as 40?C, profuse sweating and non-bloody diarrhoea.

Less commonly a rash of flat, rose-coloured spots may appear.

Untreated typhoid fever manifests itself through a headache, coughing, nosebleeds and abdominal pain.

Typhoid can only spread in environments where human waste or urine comes into contact with food or drinking water.

Flying insects feeding on human excreta may occasionally transfer the bacteria through poor hygiene habits and public sanitation conditions.http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?...date=3/10/2010

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Published by the government of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: 21 Hospitalised As Typhoid Outbreak Hits Harare
Lloyd Gumbo
5 November 2011

AT least 21 people have been admitted at a Harare hospital, while 54 others are under obsvervation following an outbreak of typhoid.

The affected people are admitted at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospitals, with two confirmed cases by late yesterday.

City health services director Dr Stanley Mungofa confirmed the typhoid outbreak.

"This is an outbreak because it's not normal for the city to have such diseases like typhoid or cholera," Dr Mungofa said.

"Someone can carry the typhoid bacteria for 20 years and they won't be having the symptoms anymore, but when they dispose their excreta where it contaminates other people's food or water, there can be an infection."

He said there were chronic careers of typhoid who posed a threat to members of the public if they did not practise hygiene.

"It is important for people to practise hygiene and wash their hands before and after eating. They should not wash hands in a dish because they may get the disease if those who would have washed before them are infected. People should also avoid drinking water from shallow wells because there are high chances that the water will be contaminated."

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi said they had positively identified the bacteria in two patients and expressed confidence the outbreak will be contained.

"The big issue is to screen these people who are suspected because most of them are relatives so there are chances of them spreading it among themselves," he said.

"The 21 have been admitted on the basis that they have been associated with each other. At the moment, those who have come for screening are from Dzivaresekwa."

Mr Gwindi said city health officials and their partners were battling to contain the disease.

Investigations were still underway to establish the severity of the outbreak.

Mr Gwindi said typhoid could be caused by dirty water and poultry products, especially eggs and chicken.

The outbreak follows almost two weeks of intermittent water supplies in the city's western suburbs.

Water shortages had resulted in residents fetching water from unprotected sources, including Mukuvisi River which is infested with raw sewage.

Mr Gwindi urged the public to practise hygiene and drink clean water.

Last year, typhoid claimed five lives in Mabvuku where over 300 people were infected.

Typhoid symptoms usually develop one to three weeks after exposure to the bacteria.

Health experts say the symptoms include perforation of bowels, delirium (severe psychiatric syndrome), dehydration and very high fever.

Other symptoms that manifest in the first and second week include profuse sweating, non-bloody diarrhoea and painful abdomen.

It is characterised by a slowly progressive fever. Less commonly a rash of flat, rose-coloured spots may appear.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201111050042.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">Typhoid outbreak hits Harare </TD><TD class=buttonheading width="100%" align=right></TD><TD class=buttonheading width="100%" align=right></TD><TD class=buttonheading width="100%" align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=createdate vAlign=top>
Saturday, 12 November 2011 17:33

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
More than 100 cases signifying a typhoid outbreak have been recorded in the North- Western suburbs of Harare amid fears that more cases are going to be reported due to the perennial water problems which have hit the area.

The typhoid outbreak has hit Dzivarasekwa, Tynwald South and Good hope with 99 cases having been recorded at Dzivarasekwa?s Rujeko clinic and 123 cases at the Beatrice infectious disease hospital.

Harare city council North-western District Medical Officer, Dr Albert Mpambo confirmed the outbreak and said the first case was reported at the clinic on the 21st of 0ctober and since then more people have been to the polyclinic for treatment.

City Heath director, Dr Stanley Mungofa said the typhoid outbreak is a cause for concern considering that the areas affected are hard hit by water shortages.

Dr Mungofa said urgent calls have been made to government and other technical partners for additional resources.

...http://www.zbc.co.zw/news-categories...ts-harare.html

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Pathfinder]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Typhoid outbreak amid Zimbabwe heatwave

2011-11-15 19:45

Harare - Health authorities say 207 cases of typhoid are being treated in Zimbabwe's capital after a prolonged spell of unusually hot weather amid acute water shortages.

Harare city council health director Prosper Chonzi says no deaths have occurred so far in the month-long outbreak.

He said on Tuesday the disease will be difficult to contain in impoverished townships relying on water from shallow, makeshift wells and marshlands.

More...

http://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/Typhoid-outbreak-amid-Zimbabwe-heatwave-20111115

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Zim hit by a serious outbreak of typhoid
by Staff reporter
2011 November 17 08:47:24 | 203 Views

An outbreak of typhoid has hit the country with more than 200 cases having been reported as of yesterday.

A total of 207 cases had passed through their units and that 36 people were currently admitted at the Beatrice Road infectious disease unit.

...
In Dzivaresekwa where the outbreak began, tests carried out at most shallow and makeshift wells where people frequently fetched water, came out positive.

The outbreak comes at a time when the disease is likely to spread due to the rainy season which has just started.

Chonzi who said they had not been any deaths reported since the outbreak a month ago, highlighted the need to move with speed to avoid a case similar to the cholera outbreak in 2009 which claimed thousands of people.

...

http://www.bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-health-byo-9225-article-Zim+hit+by+a+serious+outbreak+of+typhoid.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

Typhoid spreads in Zimbabwe


Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:10PM GMT

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Cases of typhoid are quickly spreading in Harare and many people have been admitted at the Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital in the capital.


The bacterial disease, which spreads most easily through dirty water, causes vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The public have been urged to maintain hygiene in order to prevent the situation from worsening. The public is warned to abstain from buying food products being sold in the open.

The Harare City Council Health director, Prosper Chonzi said that although no death have been reported, fears of typhoid spreading is a cause of concern due to lack of water supplies.

Read more:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/211034.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: Zimbabwe: Typhoid outbreak

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<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Typhoid cases could herald cholera outbreak

Nov 24 2011 19:18



</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Harare City Council reports that cases of suspected typhoid have risen to 500 in less than a month.

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease, caused by Salmoella typhi.

It is transmitted through the ingestion of food or drink contaminated by the faeces or urine of infected people.

The outbreak in Harare has been confined to the city?s poor townships, especially Dzivarasekwa, where untreated sewage flows unrestricted on the streets.

Council?s failure to provide adequate clean water supplies to households has exacerbated the situation.

Leslie Gwindi, the council spokesperson, told journalists on Wednesday that the local authority was only able to supply 610 megalitres of water against a daily demand of 1 400.

The gap between demand and supply of water in the capital clearly points to a crisis of serious proportions.

But a clear lesson from this outbreak is that our city fathers did not learn from the 2008-9 cholera epidemic that killed 4 000 people countrywide and infected close to 10 000.

More...

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2011-11-24-typhoid-cases-could-herald-cholera-outbreak