Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe recorded 17 new cases of anthrax at the beginning of this month, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MHCC) has reported. Anthrax is endemic in Zimbabwe and outbreaks are reported almost annually.
This year, an outbreak in several districts caused 513 human infections, many livestock infections, and 36 livestock deaths forcing the government to import 426 000 anthrax vaccine doses from Botswana to contain the outbreak.
In its disease surveillance report for the week ending November 3, the MHCC said however no human anthrax-related deaths were reported.
“The cases were reported from Gokwe North district (14) and Gokwe South district (2) in Midlands province and Mutoko district (1) in Mashonaland East province. The cumulative figures for anthrax cases are 421 and 0 deaths,” said the report.
It said during the same week, 25 new mumps cases were recorded although there were no fatalities.
The mumps cases were recorded from the provinces of Mashonaland East (7), Mashonaland West (6), Mashonaland Central (5), Masvingo (2), Matabeleland South (2), Manicaland (1), Harare Metropolitan (1) and the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital (1). This brings the cumulative number of cases to 6 881 but no deaths have been recorded.
Total diarrhoea cases in the country so far stand at 309 266 and 158 deaths after 7 529 common diarrhoea cases and one death were reported during the week under review. “The death was reported from Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare Metropolitan province. Of the reported cases, 3 138 (42%) were from under five years of age.
The provinces that reported the highest number of cases were Manicaland (1 232) and Mashonaland Central (1 208). The MHCC said there were no new confirmed Mpox cases in the country, whose cumulative figure stands at two with no fatalities.
“Eight suspected typhoid cases and no deaths were reported this week. The cumulative figure for suspected typhoid cases is 249 and 0 deaths,” the report said.
New Ziana