Lusaka in typhoid threat

By CHIKUMBI KATEBE Typhoid is suspected to have broken out in Lusaka with a number of people presenting symptoms of the disease, says Ministry of Health spokesperson Maxwell Bweupe has said.

Dr Bweupe said the ministry has already collected stool samples for testing to check on the threats of typhoid presented by patients in some locations around the capital city.

“We have patients who have come up with acute diarrhoea and we have taken samples and we are still investigating.

“Basically, the information we have is that we have treated a number of people who are presenting with symptoms that look like typhoid, we will confirm and give you feedback as soon as we have something definitive,” Dr Bweupe said.

This comes in the wake of a ravaging cholera epidemic that has spread across Lusaka since it was first reported a few weeks ago with up to 130 confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, Kamwala Ward 5 councillor Moses Bwalya has taken preventative measures against the threats of typhoid in his area and has engaged the Ministry of Health to conduct public awareness programmes in his area.

Mr Bwalya said his area has recorded suspected typhoid cases some with patients receiving treatment at Kamwala Health Centre and other health facilities in the ward.

“On Sunday, I was with the team from District Health Management Team (DHMT) in my ward attending to confirmed typhoid cases south of the ward.

“This area, we don't have enough water pressure from Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) so a lot of residents resort to local boreholes which are heavily contaminated because of so many pit latrines in the area,” he said.

Mr Bwalya said some of the activities taken were the distribution of chlorine to almost all affected households and that about three public meetings were organised to inform residents to always boil drinking water.