‘No Ebola in Hwange’
By Whinsley Masara
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has dismissed reports of an outbreak of Ebola or “Ebola like” diseases in Hwange District in Matabeleland North Province.
Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director, Dr Nyasha Masuka, said members of the public must not panic as there had been no deaths related to Ebola in the province.
He said some tests conducted on patients showed that some of the 42 people who were recently admitted to Lukosi Hospital complaining of headaches, high temperatures among others were suffering from malaria.
They were also waiting for results for the other patients.
Dr Masuka said the 42 cases were recorded in April and early this month, but no new cases were reported in the last two weeks.
“There is no Ebola or ‘Ebola like’ symptoms that have been detected within the province and people must not panic as it is not true. Yes, about 42 people from five villages in Hwange District were tested after they showed some kind of symptoms, although none of them showed Ebola symptoms,” he said.
“Most patients were admitted for three to four days and were given antibiotics and paracetamol. In some people, tests for malaria turned out negative.”
Dr Masuka said a health team was on the ground investigating.
“We want to establish if the cases came from one village or a cluster of homesteads. We are also conducting investigations if there were any public gatherings like funerals or church meetings in those areas where the cases came from to see whether there might be a certain bug that might have hit the area.
“Our health team is on high alert towards the seasonal changes, especially after so much rain. A lot of bugs may manifest and naturally people are bound to suffer from diseases such as viral colds, malaria and others,” he said. The Chronicle
