The cause of a diarrhoea outbreak that was detected 15 days ago is still unknown. On Tuesday the Department of Health claimed that two people had died as a result of it and that it was in the water.
This statement was quickly retracted on Wednesday after urgent meetings between the City of Mbombela Local Municipality, Sembcorp Silulumanzi and the Department of Health.
In its place Mbombela issued a statement clarifying that numerous tests showed that the water in the reticulation network had been ruled out as the source.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Neil Diamond, acting municipal manager, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the source of the probable cause, shigella bacteria, can be found in the faeces of an infected person, or acquired from touching contaminated surfaces or persons exposed to faecal matter, and from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
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“Laboratory results of water samples obtained by stakeholders, namely the City of Mbombela, Department of Water and Sanitation, Mpumalanga Department of Health and Sembcorp Silulumanzi, and tested at different independent laboratories, have ruled out water from the water reticulation network as the source or cause of the current reported ‘diarrhoea outbreak’,” said the statement.
All samples thus far tested by these independent parties complied with the national standard for drinking water. Sembcorp Silulumanzi collected water from various points in the water distribution network for tests.
Richmond Jele, spokesman from Sembcorp Silulumanzi, said they collected water from the river, reservoir, water distribution networks (such as schools and clinics) and water taps of the people who were sick.
“We tested all those areas and we did not find anything in the water,” he said.
Sibusiso Sibiya, the grandson of Martha Mahlangu who died in Tekwane South on Saturday after showing diarrhoea symptoms, said they may have to bury their loved one tomorrow without knowing the exact cause of death.
“My grandmother was not sick until recently when she started complaining of constantly having to go to the toilet. I had thought that the department will do a post-mortem to see what the cause of her death was, but the mortuary said
I must do it myself. They say I need to move her body to Themba Hospital so that it can be done there and it will cost us R2 000 to transport her there. The funeral is on Saturday and we still do not know the results. Looking at the way things are, we might never know the real cause of her death,” Sibiya explained.
At Tekwane South Clinic, Winnie Mkhabela said her 11-year-old son had diarrhoea and he recovered after visiting the clinic.
“He started by refusing to go to school, saying that the teachers will end up getting tired of him asking to go to the toilet all the time. We got him some medication and now he is back at school. I have also started boiling water because I have noticed that the majority of people complaining are young,” she explained.
The residents of Tekwane South further alleged that medication for diarrhoea at local clinics was finished and the nurses were giving them prescriptions to go buy medication at pharmacies.
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Health spokesman, Dumisani Malamule, initially said a total of 307 people had been affected in KaNyamazane,
KaMagugu and Pienaar. After he retracted this statement, he said he was not at liberty to clarify what the facts were.
He referred the newspaper to the Office of the Premier, which referred the newspaper back to Malamule.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni’s spokesman, Zibonele Mncwango, said the premier was very concerned about the outbreak.
Diamond said they were all working together to address the cause.
Following the false information of the water spreading the sickness, St Peter’s School in Mbombela started a drive and advised parents and staff to bring bottled water for consumption.
Local doctor, Goodman Maleni, informed the school about the statement released by the Department of Health.
“As a parent I saw it fit to inform other parents because I am not letting my child drink water from the tap.
People were advised to boil or buy water if they were suspicious.
“Especially children and elderly people need to take extra care, because their immune system is weak. This also applies for those who are suffering from diseases that suppress the immune system, such as cancer,” he said.
