Cholera hits Gauteng

[Necuno]

mec of water- our water is safe,
yes as safe as your condoms with staples through....

The number of confirmed cholera cases in Gauteng stands at 21, a health official said on Monday.

"The confirmed cases in Gauteng are 21 since the outbreak in mid-November. The death toll is still three," said Dr Chika Esomugha, a medical advisor for public health in Gauteng.

In Limpopo, the overall number of confirmed cases is 1 441, said its provincial health spokesperson Phuti Seloba.

He said 33 suspected cases were reported at the weekend but these had not been confirmed as cholera yet.

Limpopo's cholera death toll since November 15 is nine.

The World Health Organisation said on January 1 that more than 30 000 people have been diagnosed with cholera in Zimbabwe.

More than 1 700 people have died of cholera in Zimbabwe. - Sapa

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20090105153826222C973807

 

[The_Unbeliever]

bleh, bleh and double bleh

will start to take precautions

 

[TheHiveMind]

What are the precautions one can take?

 

[marine1]

Dont drink tap water.

 

[BCO]

I've tested the tap water at my office here in JHB and there is 0 bacteriological contamination in the water.

Bear in mind that even in Gauteng there are large groups of people who don't have access to reticulated water. These are almost certainly the people who've contracted cholera. Don't panic.

 

[bwana]

What are the precautions one can take?

Disinfecting your water is simple enough with chemicals or boiling but one mistake many people make is ice. Avoid it unless you're certain it came from disinfected water.

 

[TheHiveMind]

Disinfecting your water is simple enough with chemicals or boiling but one mistake many people make is ice. Avoid it unless you're certain it came from disinfected water.

I boil water I drink, and I do also boil the water that I use for ice. However brushing my teeth and gargling etc with water from the tap, could that not lead to infection? I suppose I should be boiling that water too.. what about bathing and washing your face? Is that not much of a risk?

 

[bwana]

I do not drink water out of the tap, and I do also boil the water that I use for ice. However, if I am bathing and washing my face, brushing my teeth and gargling etc with water from the tap, could that not lead to infection?

Spit not swallow - its the difference between like and love . . . of cholera that is.

 

[TheHiveMind]

Spit not swallow - its the difference between like and love . . . of cholera that is.

haha good stuff

 

[BCO]

Jeez guys, you're not going to catch cholera from the tap water.

 

[marine1]

I've tested the tap water at my office here in JHB and there is 0 bacteriological contamination in the water.

How did you test it?

 

[BCO]

How did you test it?

I used one of the portable testing kits that we use to test borehole water in the field with.

 

[marine1]

Wow. Ok so the water is ok for now?

 

[BCO]

Wow. Ok so the water is ok for now?

Well there's no bacteriological contamination in the water in my part of JHB, that's for sure.

As I said, I'm pretty sure the people who have contracted cholera in SA have been drinking water from contaminated rivers, dams or boreholes.

 

[medicnick83]

I'd keep testing if I was you.

 

[LazyLion]

How do we know that these people who have Cholera in Gauteng at the moment did not contract it elsewhere before coming here? Who are these people? Are they travelers? Or are they confirmed locals who contracted Cholera from local water? I doubt it. Sounds like scare-mongering to me.

 

[BCO]

Definite scare mongering methinks, Gary.

 

[Dolby]

BlueCollar - what area of JHB are you in ?

 

[BCO]

My office is in Sydenham. So kinda north and kinda east.

 

[DJ...]

Surely the department tests the tap water before it makes its way to the pipes? The cholera is surely coming from sources other than tap water...