Cholera Outbreak: Situational Analysis
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care as at 01 February 2024, Zimbabwe recorded 22 105 suspected Cholera cases, 2 388 confirmed cases, 21 378 recoveries, 71 confirmed deaths and 421 suspected deaths. As of 31 January 2024, a total of 103 735 people had received the Oral Cholera Vaccine.
How Family Members Can Prevent Cholera Infection
- Drink and use safe water
- Cook Food thoroughly
- Wash hands with soap and safe water after caring for the patients especially after handling poop
- Remove and wash any bedding or clothing that may have had contact with diarrhea, preferably in a washing machine using warm or hot water. Usual machine detergents are sufficient, bleach is not necessary.
- Use a flush toilet or approved septic system: double bag soiled materials (Items contaminated with poop) when throwing them away.
- Use any household disinfectant or bleach solution made up of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water to clean any area that may have contact with poop, including the patient’s bathroom, bed pan, as soon as possible after being soiled.
- When possible, use rubber gloves when cleaning any room or surface that may have had contact with the patient ‘s poop.
- Patients with Cholera should not swim until their symptoms have been gone for 2 weeks.
- If another household member starts having diarrhea, give them oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and go to a health care provider immediately.
- While caring for persons who are sick with cholera, do not serve food or drink to anyone outside of the household.
- Visitors should be very careful to avoid touching contaminated surfaces and should wash hands thoroughly before leaving and again when they arrive at their next destination. Source: Africa CDC