BY FIONA MOTSA
MBABANE-The Ministry of Health is on the ground ensuring that all emaSwati are safe from cholera which is affecting most neighboring countries.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is an acute diarrhea infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
Epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, Vusi Lokotfwako said that emaSwati can rest assured because the disease is being monitored on a weekly basis.
“We have heard about the rising numbers of cases in neighboring countries. We are on the ground as the Ministry of Health monitoring not only cholera but all public health threats.
“Diseases are monitored using color codes. These are green, yellow, and red.
Green means it is clear, yellow means moderate risk and red means high risk. Every week, we monitor using these codes, and if there is any increase we send out a rapid response team to investigate the cause.
“Cholera, in this case, is monitored using diarrhoea cases from all regions. Samples are then taken to find out the cause,” said Lokotfwako.
Lokotfwako further mentioned that emaSwati need to ensure they take safety measures to protect themselves.
“We still encourage people to wash their hands, drink clean and safe water as well as use clean toilets,” said Lokotfwako.
These are signs and symptoms of cholera according to WHO.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.
Cholera is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea. It takes between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
Most people infected with V. cholera do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their feces for 1-10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.
