News / Local
Deadly diarrhoea outbreak hits Bulawayo
13 Jun 2013 at 03:40hrs | Views
A FATAL contagious diarrhoea outbreak affecting infants and young children has hit Bulawayo.
Worsening the situation is that there is no vaccine to stop its spread, Mpilo Hospital clinical medical director Dr Wedu Ndebele revealed on Tuesday.
The outbreak is caused by the rotavirus gastroenteritis, which is an infection characterised by vomiting, watery diarrhoea, fever and dehydration leading to death.
"Rotavirus is mostly common in winter. Currently, we do not have a rotavirus vaccine to stop the spread of this diarrhoea," Ndebele said.
Ndebele said statistics of infants and young children suffering from diarrhoea were not readily available.
"It started (diarrhoea) more than a week ago. We do not have exact statistics," he added.
A number of infants and young children have been diagnosed with the rotavirus diarrhoea.
Infants and children diagnosed with the disease are being referred to Mpilo Hospital.
Worsening the situation is that there is no vaccine to stop its spread, Mpilo Hospital clinical medical director Dr Wedu Ndebele revealed on Tuesday.
The outbreak is caused by the rotavirus gastroenteritis, which is an infection characterised by vomiting, watery diarrhoea, fever and dehydration leading to death.
"Rotavirus is mostly common in winter. Currently, we do not have a rotavirus vaccine to stop the spread of this diarrhoea," Ndebele said.
"It started (diarrhoea) more than a week ago. We do not have exact statistics," he added.
A number of infants and young children have been diagnosed with the rotavirus diarrhoea.
Infants and children diagnosed with the disease are being referred to Mpilo Hospital.
Source - Southern Eye
