By Mary Sichali

Karonga, September 28, Mana:  Karonga District Health Office (DHO) has registered three new Cholera cases a week after reporting a single case from Mlare in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu in Karonga.

In an interview Friday, Karonga DHO Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Officer, Raymond Jereni, said the three confirmed cases have been registered in Mwamunyira and Mwamasapa villages in the district.

"Through our case tracing mechanisms we have established that one of the patients started exhibiting Cholera signs after travelling to one of Cholera prone areas in Tanzania," said Jereni.

He added that another risky factor for the outbreak is consumption of contaminated water from Rukuru River along which the two villages are.

"The patients are currently receiving treatment at the Cholera Treatment Unit at Karonga District Hospital.

“We have intensified case investigation and patients’ contact tracing, house to house water chlorination and community engagement and sensitization on how to curb the outbreak,” said Jereni.

He said the office has partnered with Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) and Momentum Tikweze Umoyo Project in implementing the district’s Cholera Intervention Plan.

MRCS Project Officer for Karonga, Ruth Jere, said the organization is supporting the DHO in tracing cholera suspects and providing cholera supplies in all health facilities around the affected areas.

"We have also deployed volunteers who are supporting health surveillance assistants in a mass Cholera vaccination and raising community awareness on the outbreak,” Jere said.

Currently Karonga District has eight cumulative confirmed cases of cholera.