Cholera cases rise to 53 — TRAC says situation under control

The Director of the Epidemic Infectious Disease Unit in TRAC plus, Dr. Jackson Sebeza yesterday revealed that the number of confirmed Cholera cases in the Western Province has risen to 53. According to Sebeza, three of the people who have recently contracted the disease have been admitted at Bugarama Health Centre while two are at Mibilizi hospital. “We are doing whatever it takes to control further infections and so far, the number of cases reported on a daily basis has decreased significantly from eight to either two or one case. “We have also sent a team of experts to asses the situation, analyse collected specimens and offer technical assistance to the health officials in the region. The ministry and district authorities’ are also sensitizing the public on prevention measures,” he explained. Referring to the origin of the infectious disease, the medical official said that cholera being a water borne disease, victims could have acquired it from the use of Rusizi and Rubiro River water. “To confirm this, we took some tests of the water but we are still awaiting results since such tests on water take a longer time,” Sebeza added. It is now three weeks since the killer disease was confirmed in the Western Province. Recently, the Director General of the Health Communication Centre in the Ministry of Health, Gamaliel Binamungu, said that some samples tested at the National Reference Laboratory proved positive for the Vibrio Cholerae Ogawa. “The organism is sensitive to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and cefotaxim. Bugarama borders Congo and Burundi where there are rumors of ongoing cholera outbreak,” Binamungu explained. According to medical officials, Cholera is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which affects the intestinal system of the body. There are no deaths reported so far. Ends