Government confirms two cholera cases in Kampala
Poor sanitation is one of the leading causes of diseases like Cholera
Kampala- Eight suspected cholera patients have been quarantined at Naguru hospital pending further examination.
Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the senior public relations officer of Ministry of Health, told Daily Monitor yesterday that the patients were taken to Naguru hospital for examination after showing signs and symptoms of the contagious disease.
Blood and stool samples were taken from seven patients yesterday, two of which tested positive to the infectious disease, according to preliminary results released by the Health ministry.
“According to preliminary test, two have tested positive, however with the other one patient, they [doctors] were unable to get the sample,” Mr Ainebyoona said yesterday.
He said they await final confirmation from the Central Public health laboratories in Butabika.
The patients are all residents of Kabowa Village in Rubaga Division, Kampala.
The ministry called upon people to observe proper sanitation and hygiene and vowed to continue sensitising communities about cholera.
More than five people died last year as a result of the infectious cholera disease and a number of suspected cases were reported.
About Cholera
Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea that leads to instant dehydration and eventual death if untreated.
It is usually contracted through drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated with faecal matter. If not treated immediately, cholera could become fatal. In the most severe cases, the quick loss of huge amounts of body fluids and electrolytes could lead to death within two to three hours.
Signs and symptoms of cholera include nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhoea, dehydration, and fever among others.
