Government confirms four cases as Cholera hits Kampala
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that there is an active Cholera outbreak in parts of kampala city.
In a statement by Director General Health Services, Dr Henry Mwebesa, the ministry affirms that a total of seven cholera related cases were confirmed yesterday.
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“Three of these cases are from one family residing in Mpigi District while the other four are from two families residing in Kalerwe in Kampala City,” the statement reads in part
According to the ministry’s public relations officer Vivian Serwanja, of the seven cases, 4 were confirmed for Cholera, the other 3 had other forms of diarrheal disease.
“They are all receiving treatment and recovering well at China-Uganda Friendship Hospital (CUFH), Naguru,” she said.
In order to avert further spread of the disease, the ministry has set up two isolation wards at; Mulago National Referral Hospital and CUFH-Naguru.
“Uganda is currently experiencing heavy rains which are likely to result in floods and contamination of water sources because of poor hygiene and sanitation, and high-water table in certain districts. This will favor the spread of the outbreak of infectious and communicable diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentery and Malaria in several districts,” Mwebesa said.
Cholera is a serious acute infectious disease characterized by watery diarrhea and vomiting and kills a person within hours. It is spread through eating and drinking food contaminated with feaces of an infected person. Other factors responsible for the spread of Cholera include; poor personal hygiene such as not washing hands after using the latrine, using contaminated water, poor sanitation as occurs in open defecation, eating foods or drinks prepared under unhygienic conditions.
