THE Ministry of Health says it is investigating suspected cholera cases in Kababemba village of Mitembo zone, 36km west of Nsumbu rural health Center in Mpulungu District.
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said six people including a child under the age of five had been affected and were being treated for diarrhoea.
Ms. Masebo said in a statement yesterday that the ministry had fortunately, not registered any mortalities among the affected people.
“The clinical findings suggest severe diarrhea rather than cholera; we await laboratory confirmation. However, contact tracing, review of healthcare facility case records and active case search is ongoing,” she said.
Ms. Masebo said the environmental team was carrying out investigations to rule out food poisoning and other environmental factors and that health education on food safety and water management provided by the community health assistants to the community members had been enhanced.
She encouraged community members to support community sensitisation on the increased risk of diarrheal diseases this season, advocating for good hand and environmental hygiene.
And giving an update on Coronavirus (COVID-19), Ms. Masebo said the country recorded 21 new COVID-19 cases out of the 5,084 tests conducted countrywide, representing 0.4 per cent overall national positivity.
She said the new cases were reported from Copperbelt, Eastern, Lusaka, North-western, Southern and Western provinces bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 confirmed cases recorded to date to 209,939.
“For the third consecutive day, we did not record any new deaths in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded to date stands at 3,664, classified as 2,742 COVID-19 deaths and 922 COVID-19 associated deaths,” Ms. Masebo said.
She said the country currently had 176 active cases which indicated an upswing from 163 reported on Tuesday and that no new admissions were documented in the last 24 hours preceding yesterday.
Ms. Masebo said only one facility discharge was made and that only 10 active cases admitted across the country.
“Of those who are admitted, 6 are on Oxygen therapy and one is classified as being in critical condition,” she said.
On the national vaccination programme, Ms Masebo said the ministry administered 6,728 doses of Johnson and Johnson, 617 dose one and 663 Dose two AstraZeneca and 139 dose one and 32 dose two of Sinopharm.
This brought the cumulative number of doses that have been administered to date to 968,859.
