Jukskei River E.coli threat
JOBURG – The City of Johannesburg has issued a warning of air and water borne diseases to residents of Alexandra following the recently floods in the area.
The City of Johannesburg has issued an E.coli warning for the residents of Alexandra following the recent storms and flooding of the Jukskei River in which four-year-old Everite Chauke was swept away.
The Juskei River flooded recently, affecting people living in the Setswetla informal settlement situated on its bank. The search for the little girl continues and has entered its second week and has been widened all the way to the Hartbeespoort Dam where the river finally empties.
In light of these heavy rains the City is constantly monitoring the situation and guarding against any possible eruption of water-borne diseases in the area.
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The warning was issued by the City’s Environmental Health Department which has been monitoring the Jukskei River by taking water samples every month as part of their routine checks. The last water samples were collected on 15 November as instances of Escherichia Coli (E.coli) have always been high in Jukskei River.
There are six major categories of E.coli strains which cause diarrhoea. The transmission is usually through contaminated food, water, or hands, or through direct contact with animals that are affected by E.coli. Airborne transmission can occur for some categories.
The presence of E.coli in river water does not necessary translate to a cholera outbreak, although cholera can also be transmitted through unsafe water, food, poor hygiene and sanitation, as it is caused by a bacterium called vibrio.
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There have been no confirmed cases of cholera within the City in the past 12 months and the City will continue with its surveillance on a regular basis.
The City of Johannesburg has a joint environmental and personal health plan in place to educate residents, including those living along the Jukskei River in areas such as Setswetla, about any diseases that could result from drinking unsafe water, poor hygiene, sanitation and contaminated food.
Community members are urged to wash their hands with soap and water, practice proper disposal of diapers or nappies and human waste, and further prevent contamination of food and beverages.
The City’s health facilities are on alert for any diarrhoea cases.
