Health officials report that typhoid has now spread to at least 41 low and high density suburbs in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Kuwadzana, a suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe with a high density of people, is the current epicentre of the typhoid outbreak with an estimated 1675 cases from a total of 2710 but the news that it is spreading out across the city is worrying.
Dr Samuel Tsoka of the Ministry of Health Epidemiology and Disease Control Unit has urged residents to practice extreme hygiene to control the spread of typhoid.
He added that ministry of health officials are now battling to contain major outbreaks in two areas namely Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa, both of which are high density suburbs.
Two people are reported to have succumbed to the disease so far out of the more than 2,000 cases detected in Harare.
Typhoid was first detected in Harare in October 2011. Dr Tsoka says the disease was initially detected in Tafara and Mabvuku high density suburbs, but the ministry of health has managed to control its spread in the two suburbs.
“We are witnessing high cases of diarrhoeal diseases in the areas most affected and fish from Lake Chivero has also been contaminated,” Dr Tsoka said.
Dr Tsoka said consumers are particularly at risk due to uncontrolled vegetable vending. He also urged service providers to improve on hygiene to control the outbreak.
The lack of consistent and clean water supplies in most suburbs is reported to be fuelling the disease.
