Matsanjeni cholera fears allayed

THE Ministry of Health has allayed fears of an outbreak of cholera in Matsanjeni area following that residents were recently attacked by bouts of diarrhoea.
Masitsela Mhlanga, who is in charge of the ministry's Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, said they were on the alert for cholera.
"It's true that there were cases of diarrhoea amongst the population of Matsanjeni and Lavumisa areas but it had nothing to do with cholera. Our investigations established that these may have been a result of food poisoning," Mhlanga said.
He confirmed though that the cited areas' residents had no access to a clean water supply and this was a setback to their efforts.
"Indeed, many areas of Lavumisa are drinking contaminated water and were the cholera germ to be discovered there, many could fall victim to the disease. We're on the high alert though as our neighbours; South Africa and Mozambique have recently reported cases of cholera.
"But on the overall, the ministry has not yet suspected nor confirmed a case of cholera," the senior health official said.
Fears that there was an outbreak of cholera in certain areas under Matsanjeni constituency were sparked after some residents reported cases of diarrhoea.
Meanwhile, Qedusizi Ndlovu, Matsanjeni South MP, said the problem of water contamination in his constituency and other surrounding areas was huge.
He urged government to consider exploiting opportunities availed by the LUSIP (Lower Usuthu Irrigation Project) for his people to access a clean water supply.
"We're not talking irrigation here but water for consumption purposes - the people just cannot access clean water in this part of the world and it's a serious challenge I've never witnessed in my entire lifetime.
"So bad is the situation that like bees to honey, residents would cram the site whenever told a water tanker is on the way. Even the tankers themselves are hard to come by these days yet the area is dry, and I mean very dry," he said.
The Matsanjeni South MP was confident the government headed by Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini would deal with the issue since they had, amongst its priorities, included availing a clean water to the nation.

What is cholera?
Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic or epidemic cholera, is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which affects the intestinal system of the body.
An infected person experiences severe vomiting, explosive diarrhoea and severe dehydration. Without immediate medical treatment, cholera may result in death within four to 12 hours after symptoms begin.
Due to a large loss of body fluids, cholera is gruesome in the way that it leaves survivors in their physical appearance, as well as in the biological toll it takes on the body.
Cholera is very contagious. It is spread by the unintentional consumption of infected faeces that contaminate food and water.
It can also be spread through human to human contact. Some people have been infected with cholera by eating raw or undercooked shellfish.