Four typhoid cases reported
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An unidentified woman walks past an overflowing sewer tank where a foetus was discovered in Mufakose, Harare, yesterday. Sewer pipe bursts contribute to typhoid outbreaks

Herald Reporter
Four cases of typhoid have been reported in Glen View and Budiriro, an official has said.
Harare City Council health director Dr Prosper Chonzi yesterday said the city was concerned about the cases of typhoid.There are a number of cases that we are receiving in Glen View and Budiriro and four cases have been confirmed after testing their stool since there was an increase in the number of diarrhoea cases in the area” he said.

Dr Chonzi said people must be vigilant about hygiene and wash their hands frequently to slow the spread of the disease.

“The moment adequate water isn’t accessible it becomes difficult to maintain personal hygiene, to cook healthy food and everything else that has to do with water.

“At the end of day, water-borne diseases become rampant so people should boil water, wash food and hands consistently,” he said.

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease caused by Salmonella typhi. It is transmitted through the ingestion of food or water contaminated with human waste from an infected person.

Dr Chonzi dismissed rumours of typhoid outbreak in Kuwadzana and Dzivaresekwa.

“We are yet to confirm the cases in these areas even though we are having cases of diarrhoea and abdominal pains in the area. The major drivers of the typhoid outbreak are due to uncollected refuse, illegal vending,” he  said.

Symptoms usually develop from about three weeks after exposure and may be mild or severe.

They include high fever, malaise, headache, constipation or diarrhoea, rose-coloured spots on the chest and enlarged spleen and liver.

The typhoid comes at a time Harare residents have had erratic water supplies and poor quality tap water.

According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care week 43 report since January 2014, diarrhoea cases reported are 494 490 and 754 people have succumbed to diarrhoea,with 1 148 suspected cases of typhoid, 69 confirmed cases and 11 deaths across the country.

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