Hygienic advice as dysentery outbreak hits Harare and Chitungwiza

By Tererai Karimakwenda
11 November 2005

Hundreds of people have been hit by an outbreak of dysentery in Harare and Chitungwiza. According to Friday’s state run paper The Herald, more than 200 cases had been reported in Mbare and at three residential blocks in Chitungwiza in the last few weeks. The use of polluted open water is believed to be the most likely source of the outbreak. Municipal officials have blamed the recent outbreaks on the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

The patients in Chitungwiza are reported to be on a strict quarantine to prevent any further spreading of the disease. The sewerage system in the town is reported to have streams of human waste flowing in it, and residents should not drink water without taking precautions.

We asked Dr. Greg Powell for a brief description of dysentery symptoms and advice on methods of prevention. Dr. Powell said the disease is a bacterial diarrhoea characterized by blood and mucus in the stool. Sometimes there are signs of a fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps. The doctor urged people to boil their water before drinking or to filter it when possible. You should also wash your hands after using the toilet.

Dysentery is not as severe as cholera and antibiotics can generally take care of it.
Obadiah Moyo, the Chitungwiza general hospital chief executive officer and renal specialist, told The Herald that so far they had dealt with 43 cases from Chitungwiza alone in the last two months, and Mbare reported at least 80 cases a week in October. The report says that Stanley Mungofa, the acting director of city health services, had notified Dr. David Parirenyatwa, the health and child welfare minister.
Mungofa is reported to have appealed for government intervention after he told the minister that numerous tests of water samples taken from various points had indicated that the water was not adequately treated.