Story to Tamuka Charakupa
COMMUNITIES in Chipinge have been implored to be on high alert after more than 160 positive cases of cholera have been confirmed in the district.
The Chipinge District Civil Protection Department met this Saturday to deliberate on ways to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease in the district.
Areas that include Kondo, Chibuwe, Checheche, Chipangai, and Mabeye have been identified as cholera hotspots in the district.
Chipinge District Medical Officer Dr Ozzimo Matekenya informed the meeting that health personnel have been deployed to monitor all the hotspots.
“We have so far recorded nine deaths in Chipinge from the cumulative 168 positive cases in the district. This is a worrying situation because the fatality rate is above 5 percent. As the Ministry of Health and Child Care we have deployed our staff to all the hotspot communities across the district to monitor suspected cases,” he said.
Meanwhile, the meeting also raised concern over increasing positive cases of rabies in the district which has so far claimed three lives.
“We have recorded three confirmed rabies deaths in the district which means we have an outbreak. We have so far vaccinated about 9 000 out of about 12 000 dogs which we have. We continue to implore the community to vaccinate their dogs because rabies treatment is expensive so prevention is better than cure,” said Mr Tandabantu Hlatywayo, from the Veterinary Services Department.
Mandatory dog vaccination is being recommended across the district.
In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that rabies causes more than 400 human deaths annually.
