Warning issued following diarrhoea outbreak in northern KZN

Sixty people have been taken to hospital in northern KwaZulu-Natal following a diarrhoea outbreak.

According to the KZN health department, 54 people were treated at the Vryheid Hospital from March 22 to 24. They came from Bhekuzulu, Lakeside and Vryheid. Since then six more people have been treated.

The department has since warned residents of the area to take precautions and only drink water that has been purified and is safe for consumption.

"The Abaqulusi district municipality has been placed under administration following certain irregularities, including failure to guarantee the provision of water that is safe for human consumption," the department said.

Environmental health practitioners have started taking water samples in the affected areas and elsewhere, and the province's communicable diseases control teams have also taken stool samples from patients "in order to determine the exact cause of their illness".

According to the health department, a high-level meeting was set to take place on Thursday between representatives from the municipality's water affairs, National Health Laboratory Services, municipality water affairs, and a multi-disciplinary health team.

"The KZN department of co-operative government and traditional affairs (Cogta) has sent a team of engineers and infrastructure specialists to have a closer look at the situation.

"While the hospital’s kitchen is supplying boiled water for drinking for in-patients, the local health district has begun loud-hailing and handing out flyers on the safe use of water," the department said.

It further issued the following water and food safety protocols:

• Use only bottled water, or water that has been disinfected with one teaspoon or 5ml of bleach into 20–25 litres of water, mix well and wait for at least 30 minutes before consumption;
• Then boil the water at least for a minute (let it bubble) to make it clean and safe;
• Wash all raw food with clean, treated or boiled water;
• Wash your hands before handling or eating food;
• Wash food utensils in clean, treated or boiled water;
• Protect food from fly contamination and prevent fly contamination at home;
• Use proper toilet facilities only and wash hands after use;
• Do not allow children to play in dirty pools, rivulets or storm water outlets; and
• Do not contaminate rivers or leave sewage where it can be washed into a river by rain.