Durban residents have been urged toensure good hygiene at all times to prevent the spread of diarrhoea that has plagued the city.
|||Durban - Durban residents have been urged to ensure good hygiene at all times to prevent the spread of diarrhoea that has plagued the city, particularly its townships.
The outbreak, confirmed to be a viral infection, has killed 30 children in two months.
Dr Ayo Olowolagba, deputy head of communicable disease services in the eThekwini Municipality, said that the children, aged up to five, had died between May and June mainly as a result of dehydration, which he said could have been prevented if children had been taken to hospital in time.
He urged people to ensure they washed their hands thoroughly and often, especially after using the toilet.
However, Olowolagba said the situation was under control and they had intensified their awareness campaign.
“No further deaths have been reported since the beginning of this month.”
He said people were starting to come in for early treatment.
“Children who are getting help at the mobile clinics in various parts of the city don’t even need to be taken to hospital,” he said.
Olowolagba encouraged parents to seek help at the slightest suspicious sign, saying more than 150 children had been diagnosed with the condition over the past two months.
He encouraged parents who suspected their child may have diarrhoea to mix a litre of water with one teaspoon of salt and nine teaspoons of sugar for the child to drink.
“What this mixture will do is hydrate the child, which is crucial before rushing them to hospital for treatment,” he said.
“The main reason children die is not because of the viral infection itself, but because of dehydration, which can be prevented,” he said.
Olowolagba urged parents to be on the alert at all times, saying even though diarrhoea was more prevalent in dry seasons, it was not unusual at this time of the year.
mpume.madlala@inl.co.za
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