The ManicaPost
Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
A suspected outbreak of diphtheria has been reported in Makoni District, The Manica Post can reveal.
Diphtheria is one of the six killer diseases of childhood.
The bacterial disease can lead to difficulty in breathing, heart rhythm problems and even death as it causes severe inflammation of the nose, throat and windpipe.
The hardest hit areas are Chinyudze in Headlands and Nyahukwe in Makoni Central.
In Chinyudze, 11 children died in one week due to suspected diphtheria.
The deaths are mainly hitting members of apostolic churches who do not seek conventional health services.
Makoni District Medical Officer, Dr Tendai Nyafesu confirmed the suspected outbreak and said samples have been taken to laboratories for testing.
He, however, said efforts to get the real picture are being hampered since the ailing children are not being taken to health centres.
“We can confirm that there is suspected outbreak of diphtheria in the district. The most affected areas are Chinyudze and Nyahukwe.
“We do not have the actual numbers of causalities because the affected are mainly from apostolic churches and are not seeking medical attention. The children are dying at home and burials are being conducted discreetly.
“Fortunately, we have managed to get some samples and we are waiting for results to confirm the disease. The signs and symptoms are consistent with diphtheria.
“The symptoms are sore throat and fever, among others. It is prevalent in children under the age of five. It can also affect those above five years, especially those that are not vaccinated,” said Dr Nyafesu.
“We are also in the process of engaging the Zimbabwe Republic Police so that we can have access to the affected children in order to treat them and save lives,” he said.
Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called corynebacterium diphtheriae that make a toxin. It is the toxin that can cause people to get very sick.
Diphtheria bacteria spreads from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets that come from coughing or sneezing.
People can also get sick from touching infected open sores or ulcers.
Those at increased risk of getting sick include people in the same household, people with a history of frequent, close contact with the patient and people directly exposed to secretions from the patient.
Diphtheria treatment begins immediately, sometimes even before the laboratory test results are confirmed.
A healthcare provider can prescribe diphtheria antitoxin to stop damage to the patient’s organs.
People with diphtheria are kept in isolation to prevent others from becoming infected.
An infected person is no longer contagious around 48 hours after taking antibiotics.
When treatment ends, tests will be run again to make sure the bacteria are gone.
Once the bacteria is gone, one gets a vaccine to prevent future infections.
