BY NIZBERT MOYO BULAWAYO’s Tshabalala Extension suburb has reportedly been hit by a dysentery outbreak at a time when residents are being tormented by diarrhoea.
The diarrhoea outbreak recently claimed the life of a resident of the suburb and infected hundred others.
The outbreak has been blamed on contaminated water after the local authority implemented a 72-hour water-shedding regime on December 1.
Paul Makhureya, a resident, told Southern Eye yesterday that he had a running stomach for the second time in days and was told by nurses that he was suffering from dysentery.
“I am still feeling dizzy and have a running stomach. I am passing stool with blood. I was told that I have dysentery. My son was also having the same problem. My neighbour was also complaining of the same problem,’’ Makhureya said.
Tshabalala Residents Association chairperson Webster Tsondayi urged council to provide answers to the recurrent outbreaks of water-borne diseases.
“We appeal for effective communication from the city council. We hear that its water contamination,” Tsondayi said.
“They should do like they did last time when there were water shortages in the city where they explained to residents the challenges they were facing. We will understand if they explain to us rather than remaining mum.”
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Bulawayo City Council health services director Edwin Sibanda could neither deny nor confirm the outbreak.
He, however, said that samples sent to internal and external laboratories came back positive for Shigella Flexneri, a bacterium that causes diarrhoea.
“I cannot confirm the outbreak of dysentery since I am not aware of the case. Dysentery has so many thresholds unless we analyse case-by-case. I cannot say we no longer have cases of diarrhoea now since we are still counting the incubation period from the last case, but as of the past three or four days, there were zero cases recorded,’’ Sibanda said.
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