News / National
Zimbabwe typhoid cases jumps to over 700
26 Jan 2012 at 06:29hrs | Views
THE number of typhoid cases treated in Harare has risen to 756 amid complaints by Kuwadzana residents that fish vendors are now trading at night.
Residents interviewed yesterday said policing of vending activities was only during the day and fish vendors were taking advantage of darkness to trade.
Harare City Council director of health services Dr Prosper Chonzi, has confirmed that samples taken from fish, raw and cooked meat tested positive for Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid.
Dr Chonzi said the city was tracking patients who were treated at other health centres to establish their contacts and also test them for typhoid.
At Kuwadzana Polyclinic a considerable number of patients were seeking treatment.
Women with babies strapped on their backs could be heard complaining that their children had stomach problems.
Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda says more effort should be invested in rebuilding the national economy to get more people gainfully employed to kill the burgeoning open air foodstuffs vending market.
Mr Masunda made the remarks in response to questions on how best the city should address the problem of illegal vending that gave rise to typhoid.
"The real issue is that we must redouble our efforts to rebuild our country's bruised economy, thus get more people in gainful employment," he said.
His comments come as the number of people treated for typhoid as of yesterday afternoon stood at 756.
New cases that were treated at other health centres had not been captured.
Residents interviewed yesterday said policing of vending activities was only during the day and fish vendors were taking advantage of darkness to trade.
Harare City Council director of health services Dr Prosper Chonzi, has confirmed that samples taken from fish, raw and cooked meat tested positive for Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid.
Dr Chonzi said the city was tracking patients who were treated at other health centres to establish their contacts and also test them for typhoid.
At Kuwadzana Polyclinic a considerable number of patients were seeking treatment.
Women with babies strapped on their backs could be heard complaining that their children had stomach problems.
Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda says more effort should be invested in rebuilding the national economy to get more people gainfully employed to kill the burgeoning open air foodstuffs vending market.
Mr Masunda made the remarks in response to questions on how best the city should address the problem of illegal vending that gave rise to typhoid.
"The real issue is that we must redouble our efforts to rebuild our country's bruised economy, thus get more people in gainful employment," he said.
His comments come as the number of people treated for typhoid as of yesterday afternoon stood at 756.
New cases that were treated at other health centres had not been captured.
Source - TH
