Home

Death toll from cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal rises to 12

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The death toll from the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria has risen to 12. Laboratory tests were conducted on stool samples of 19 people who went to the Jubilee District Hospital, after showing symptoms of diarrhoea, stomach cramps and nausea.

The City of Tshwane is providing water tanks for residents, after they were advised not to drink water coming from their taps. Councillor Rina Marks, a member of the mayoral committee for health in Tshwane explains:

“Yes, we’re providing them with water tanks so we’ve got the mmc for utilities and the mmc for human settlement on board as well, so they will make sure that there is enough water sent to specific areas especially the ones that are most affected. Its 12 now, 12 people and its not 10 anymore but i know and it also breaks my heart to hear this, i don’t want people to die but we still do not know what is the source of this.”

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has called on residents of Hammanskraal to boil water or treat it with bleach before consuming it.

Dr Juno Thomas the head of the NICD’s Centre for Enteric Diseases elaborates:

“Boiling and also using household bleach to treat your water before you use it for drinking or cooking is effective at eliminating cholera bacteria and all the other bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhoeal disease. So that’s what members of the public are urged to do to either boil the water or treat it with household bleach.”

Gauteng Department of Health confirms the Cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, City of Tshwane:

Author

MOST READ