Mpumalanga has recorded its first cholera-related death after the passing of a 73-year-old woman, according to the national Department of Health.
The department said the elderly woman from Phake Thabeng was admitted to Mmametlhake Hospital suffering from diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting after eating a meal on Friday last week.
“She was a known patient on hypertension treatment. A cholera sample was taken and forwarded to the laboratory for investigation. The interim results showed that she tested positive for cholera,” said the department.
The woman passed away on Tuesday in the hospital, which is close to Hammanskraal, bringing the death toll to 25 since the cholera outbreak in the area, north of Pretoria.
Besides the new Mpumalanga case, 23 deaths have been recorded in Hammanskraal and one in the Free State.
The department has urged members of the public to remain vigilant and exercise personal hygiene, while those experiencing cholera symptoms are urged to present themselves to the nearest health facility.
An outbreak response team in Dr JS Moroka has been deployed to investigate possible sources of infection, conduct tracking and tracing and roll out intensive community awareness campaigns
Communities are also advised to be on high alert for cholera, which is one of the diarrhoea diseases caused by a bacteria called vibrio cholerae.
The disease spreads through the ingestion or drinking of water contaminated with human faeces. The illness, according to the department, may start within a few hours to five days.
“Anyone who presents with diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting should immediately seek medical assistance at the local health facility,” it said.
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