At least ten people have been taken to hospital after another outbreak of cholera epidemic across Chiredzi district.
The epidemic, according to sources within the health ministry, has affected farms around Chiredzi town and there are fears that several parts of the district might also have been affected.
“Ten people have tested positive for cholera and they are still in hospital receiving treatment,” said an official within the health ministry. “We have other cases that have not yet been confirmed and laboratory tests are in progress.”
Masvingo provincial medical director Dr Robert Mudyiradima confirmed the outbreak but said the situation was under control. No deaths had been reported
Health officials have attributed the outbreak to lack of good drinking water. Some families in the affected areas are sharing drinking water with wild and domestic animals.
The government last week launched an emergency fund to deal with disease outbreaks normally associated with the rains.
Health minister David Parirenyatwa said the fund would be decentralised to cater for all eventualities.
Former Chiredzi West MP Moses Mare last year appealed to the government to drill more boreholes in the area to ensure that villagers could get clean water. He said the water situation in parts of Chiredzi was still hindering containment of the disease.
Five people died in March during an outbreak of the disease. Cholera killed at least 4,000 and affected 100,000 in the serious 2008 epidemic. Children and the elderly are most at risk.