Lumezi District has recorded a confirmed positive case of Cholera outbreak in a 39-year-old female who recently traveled to Chipata.
On 3rd June, 2024, four patients who include male aged 18 and three females aged 27, 39 and 45 presented themselves to Mpingozi Rural Health Post with acute diarrhea, vomiting headache and severe dehydration.
All the patients who are from Kasinga and Juma villages within Mpingozi catchment area have history of travel to Chipata where an outbreak of suspected Cholera was reported a fortnight ago.
Lumezi Town Council Director Health Services, Dr. Evans Phiri has confirmed the outbreak that the patients have been placed under isolation as further investigations are conducted.
Dr. Phiri says stool samples were collected and submitted for lab investigation in Lundazi as Cholera suspects and one case has since been confirmed positive.
Dr. Phiri has called on residents to take serious precautionary and preventive measures in view of the recent development in order to avert further spread of the epidemic by ensuring proper sanitation and hygiene measures are adhered to.
And two unprotected water points, two sanitary facilities and nine households have so far been inspected while the distribution of Chlorine has been scaled up.
According to statement issued by Lumezi Town Council Assistant Public Relations Officer Irvin Muyumbwa the district has since activated case search and village inspections as a preventive measure of further spread.
Meanwhile, Lumezi Town Council Secretary Mary Sinkala and Lumezi District Commissioner Lufeyo Ngoma have urged residents to take precautions whenever they travel to Chipata with regards to what they eat or drink because the City remains the main threat as the four cases are linked to individuals having taken water from Chipata’s Saturday market.
Residents are further advised to avoid buying ready to eat food from street vendors or drinking water from unverified sources and traders are called upon to cooperate with authorized officers from the Local Authority during inspections and enforcement of public health guidelines.