Zimbabwe: Malaria Outbreak Leaves Four Dead

Four people died, while 1 200 others were treated for malaria in Karoi town following an outbreak that occurred in the past two months, Mashonaland West provincial medical director Dr Wancelous Nyamayaro has said. In an interview yesterday, Dr Nyamayaro said suspected malaria cases in the district have gone up to 1 273, with 592 confirmed positive of malaria. "We have recorded an increase in the number of malaria cases in the past two months. The situation is not good and it may end up as a major problem," said Dr Nyamayaro.

He said the number of cases shot up by 60 percent compared to previously recorded figures. Dr Nyamayaro said preliminary investigations showed that the cases were as a result of a disused quarry mine, which has become a mosquito breeding ground.

He said residents were also digging around the dam in search of worms for fishing, thereby increasing breeding ponds for the mosquitoes. "Houses in the area along the stream bank with tall grass coupled with the high temperatures and stagnant water ponds provide breeding ground for mosquitoes. Residents are at high risk of catching malaria," Dr Nyamayaro said.

He said in the meantime, the district health executive in conjunction with Karoi Town Council were working flat out to control the outbreak. Normally malaria interventions target rural settings where people have little access to prevention choices such as mosquito nets and repellents.

Dr Nyamayaro said Karoi urban was therefore not targeted by any malaria intervention since it was an urban setting.

"Since it is an urban setting, we do not conduct in-house spray of chemicals. But now as means to control the outbreak, we are distributing nets, drugs and chemicals to spray in the houses," said Dr Nyamayaro.

According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care latest weekly bulletin report, 493 deaths and 293 700 malaria cases have so far been recorded since the beginning of the year.

Malaria is preventable and treatable, but can lead to death if timely medical assistance is not sought.