Cholera outbreak suspected at Atebubu-Amantin district

The Atebubu-Amantin District Directorate of Ghana Health Service says it suspects the outbreak of cholera in the district following increasing diarrhoea cases reported at health facilities.

A man believed to be in his 50s recently died of the disease in the area.

Mr Ramseyer Ahmed, Atebubu-Amantin District Disease Control Officer disclosed this at Atebubu at the celebration of Brong-Ahafo Regional Schools Festival of Arts and Culture.

Mr Ahmed announced that from January to August this year, a total number of 814 diarrhoea cases had been recorded by the health directorate.

Majority of the cases were reported from Atebubu-Zongo and Atebubu-Konkomba Line communities, he added.

The district disease control officer explained a stool specimen of suspected patients sent to Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi by the Directorate for diagnosis proved two patients positive.

Mr Ahmed called on the public in the area to be very vigilant and to report any suspected case to the hospital without delay.

He said people should always wash their hands with soap before eating and food vendors must cover their food properly to prevent contamination, Mr. Ahmed advised.

The District Disease Control Officer again advised the need for meals to be eaten hot, water from streams and hand-dug wells to be boiled and cautioned against the practice where people defecate along river banks.

He explained that such defecated waste materials polluted river bodies and caused the outbreak of epidemics such as cholera.

Source: GNA