The North West Department of Health has activated its teams to be on high alert following confirmation of one case of cholera in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality in the Province.
The case was confirmed on Monday after the said patient was admitted at Life Peglerae Hospital in Rustenburg on Saturday.
The Department’s Media and Communications Director Tebogo Lekgethwane said that a male patient who is a miner at the Northam Platinum mine in Limpopo is still admitted and being monitored at the hospital.
“According to the reports we received the patient presented himself to the hospital with the symptoms of cholera following the consumption of a fish he allegedly caught in a river while on vacation a week ago in Northam (a small-town bordering Limpopo province and the North West).
Remember now that it is raining in various parts of the country water is flowing boundlessly in various streams and rivers in Limpopo from neighbouring Zimbabwe.
That has proven to be a route of Cholera even previously where cases were reported from there,” said Lekgethwane.
Lekgethwane said that they immediately informed their counterparts in Limpopo after the NICD confirmed the case on Monday.
“Due to a healthy working relationship, we have with our counterparts in Limpopo, contact tracing and screening commenced immediately after the NICD confirmed a cholera case.
“Even our outbreak response team from both provinces and secondly, we have contacted the Northam Platinum Mine where the patient is employed as a miner and they have also started testing their workers,” explained Lekgethwane.
In addition, Lekgethwane said the Bojanala Outbreak Task Team has been tasked to conduct environmental investigation in collaboration with Municipal Health Services.
“Health education by Outbreak Response Team to accelerate community health education and awareness, enhance surveillance and monitoring,” said Lekgethwane.
The Department has called for calm, highlighting that the case is imported from Limpopo, and it is not because of contaminated water in the province or in Rustenburg in particular.
“That’s correct, this is an imported case as we said earlier, the patient was visiting Limpopo where he is believed to have contracted the disease.
So, there’s nothing wrong with water in Rustenburg and Magalies Water Board can even attest to that.
They haven’t informed us of any concern with the quality of water provided to communities in Bojanala as it is a norm so we can assure our people that water in Rustenburg is healthy for consumption and domestic use,” reiterated Lekgethwane.
He said that although cholera is communicable it is also curable and called for communities to look out for several symptoms.
“Watery diarrhoea has always been a hallmark symptom, often described as ‘rice-water stools’ due to its pale, milky appearance.
“Secondly, vomiting can occur, especially in the early stages, and can worsen dehydration.
“Leg cramps are also common to people who contracted the disease as they’re susceptible to muscle cramps, particularly in the legs, including restlessness or irritability to some individuals,” cautioned Lekgethwane
