Free State on alert as cholera cases grow

The Free State department of health says six people have been confirmed to have cholera after being treated at Parys and Boitumelo hospitals in Kroonstad. 

This follows the identification of the first laboratory confirmed case in the province on May 17.

Free State MEC for Health  Mathabo Leeto

said numerous people were seen at various clinics with diarrhoea infections. Leeto held a meeting with mayors from Fezile Dabi, Ngwathe, councillors and district outbreak response teams on Sunday.

“The meeting heard about 76 people who were seen at various clinics and hospitals in the district with diarrhoea infections,” said Leeto. 

She said that the province, district and local area outbreak response teams were activated and included the local and district municipality and supported by the World Health Ogranisation (WHO) and National Institute on Communicable Diseases (NICD). 

“These teams were already in the district since May 8th after the Communicable Disease District Coordinator from Fezile Dabi District was notified of rapid, sudden increase cases of diarrhoea in Ngwathe local municipality area,” Leeto said. 

She noted that the teams working in Vredefort and Ngwathe in general were continuously monitoring the quality of water for all water sources supplying water to the community but also warned that diarrhoea and cholera were on the rise in Southern Africa and were rapidly spreading nationally. 

Leeto confirmed that there were no deaths related to the infections in the province and that the six confirmed cases were successfully treated and discharged. 

She encouraged communities to adhere to all good hygiene practices and to work together consistently to curb any potential spread of infections.