Diseases threaten SA kids’ lives
THE first cholera cases in South Africa were detected about a month ago, in three patients who came from Zimbabwe. It is highly infectious and deadly if it is not detected and treated promptly.
It is important to educate communities about this disease.
The signs and symptoms: nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, which may be watery, dehydration, with sunken eyes, abdominal pain, lethargy, fluid and electrolyte imbalance. In severe cases, shock and seizures.
The causes: contaminated municipal water supply, food sold by street vendors, vegetables grown with water containing human waste, raw fish or undercooked seafood, poor hygiene, handling of food without the proper washing of hands.
Treatment: consult a doctor without delay. Hospitalisation, antibiotics, intravenous infusion, and check the fluid and electrolyte imbalance. It is important that the patient be nursed in isolation and the doctors do all necessary laboratory tests for proper treatment.
Diphtheria
In South Africa, every child receives or should receive immunisation against diphtheria which is combined with vaccines for tetanus and whooping cough. It’s a rare disease because of the success of our immunisation programme. Last week, two cases of diphtheria were detected in SA.
Diphtheria requires medical diagnosis.
Signs and symptoms: a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, weakness or malaise. The patient may experience body chills, noisy breath or shortness of breath, coughing, impaired voice or hoarseness of voice, difficulty in swallowing, and a runny nose. The most obvious sign of diphtheria is a thick grey membrane covering the throat and tonsils. Treatment: vaccination, antibiotics and an antitoxin. COMETH DUBE-MAKHOLWA | Midrand