Whatshot
Suspected Diarrhoea outbreak in eThekwini
Suspected Diarrhoea outbreak in eThekwini
Deputy Head of Communicable Disease Services, Dr Ayo Olowolagba said the mostly affected children were males in the 12 months category and most of the children admitted at the hospitals are referred by local clinics for further investigation and some were self referred. For now most cases are at King Edward V111 Hospital.
"About half of the number of cases came from Inanda area and followed by Amaoti. Other areas that were mostly affected were from, in order of frequencies, Ntuzuma area 14(19.7%), Mayville 10(14%), and Kwa-Mashu 7(10%)," he explained.
Olowolagba said parents of all children presenting with any health condition to hospitals are requested to produce a Road to Health card (RTH) in order to assess the immunization status of the child. According to the data collected, it can be revealed that most of the children 45/70 (64%) were immunized. Immunization catch up is done on discharge for those that have missed immunization opportunity.
Mayor James Nxumalo has called on community members to take the necessary precautions to avoid the spread of the disease. "Our Health Unit is taking the necessary measures to alert the community and to respond appropriately to the problem. People in the affected areas should be vigilant and immediately seek medical assistance if they present with symptoms."