Three dead as suspected cholera strikes Mayuge

In Summary

Deadly. The three died in one week and 18 more were admitted to various health centres

Three people have been confirmed dead of suspected cholera at Bwondha Landing Site in Malongo Sub-county in Mayuge District.

Dr Charles Nabangi, the district health officer, said on Thursday the disease had claimed three people in one week and more than 18 were admitted to various health centres.
Majority of the victims were rushed to Malongo Health Centre III.

“I started feeling abdominal pains after taking water and within a short time, I started vomiting and developed diarrhoea,” Ms Magaret Owori, one of the patients, told Sunday Monitor at her bed at Malongo Health Centre.
Health officials at the hospital said most of the patients were vomiting and had diarrhoea.
However, Dr Nabangi said they had not yet confirmed whether it was cholera.

“The disease is associated with vomiting and diarrhoea and we have sent samples to Kampala to establish whether it is cholera or any other disease,” Dr Nabangi said.

He said the disease is caused by poor sanitation and accused households of lacking latrines. He said 30 per cent of households in the district lack pit latrines and discharge human waste into the bush and nearby Lake Victoria, where they also draw water for domestic use.

A press statement from the director of health services, Dr Jane Ruth Acheng, yesterday said the eastern districts have reported chorela cases with Namayingo and Butaleja, the most affected, recording at least four cases daily. She said the neighbouring districts of Busia, Sironko and Kibuku have also reported cases of cholera, which she attributed to poor hygiene and sanitation worsened by the rains.

Dr Acheng appealed to the residents to boil or chlorinate all drinking water, intensify health inspection in all communities, intensify health education and awareness, and enforce construction of pit-latrines.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none to mild to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhoea that lasts a few days. Vomiting may also occur. The bacterium is usually found in food or water contaminated by faeces from a person with the infection.