‘No cause for alarm,’ says Eastern Cape amid suspicions of cholera case

The Eastern Cape department of health has called for calm as it awaits the test results of a suspected cholera case.

The department is on high alert after a woman was admitted at the Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha on Saturday.

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The department is waiting for test results from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Speaking to the SABC, department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the patient has a history of funeral attendance in the area and has not travelled outside the city.

“The symptoms the patient has presented with are associated with cholera. This is why we are taking precautionary measures to raise awareness and educate communities. We must emphasise that at this stage, there are no indications that we may have an outbreak,” said Kupelo.

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“The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality also conducted water samples from their waste water plants which have since come back negative.”

Contact tracing has been done and at this stage, the department says there is no alarm.

“We are just taking precautionary measures to educate people. For now, there is no alarm, but it’s always good to practise hygiene.”

According to the NICD, Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water.

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Cholera causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal in a matter of hours, even in previously healthy people.

In its severe form, cholera typically presents as:

• Sudden onset of illness
• Diarrhoea which is profuse, painless and watery, with flecks of mucus in
  the stool (“rice water” stools)
• Vomiting may occur, usually early in the illness
• Most persons don’t have fever, although children may develop a fever
• Dehydration occurs rapidly and if untreated can be fatal

The public are reminded to maintain hand hygiene to prevent possible transmission.