Emmanuel Businge, the Acting District Health Educator for Kiryandongo, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon that the test results confirmed cholera. He stated that health authorities have launched an investigation to identify the source of contamination.
Refugees at the Panyadoli refugee settlement area. Health ministry has confirmed an outbreak of Cholera in the settlement area.Photo by Emmanuel Okello.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed a cholera outbreak in Panyadoli Refugee Settlement, Kiryandongo District, following the deaths of two South Sudanese refugees. The victims, both female adults aged 40 and 49, died last Thursday at Panyadoli Hill Health Center III and Panyadoli Health Center IV, respectively, after being rushed there in critical condition.
They had exhibited cholera-like symptoms, including vomiting, fever, and severe watery diarrhea. Health officials initially identified seven suspected cholera cases, with two deaths already confirmed. The district health team immediately collected stool samples from all suspected cases and rectal swabs from the deceased, sending them to the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Kampala for confirmation.
Emmanuel Businge, the Acting District Health Educator for Kiryandongo, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon that the test results confirmed cholera. He stated that health authorities have launched an investigation to identify the source of contamination. The district has intensified case management and surveillance while embarking on community sensitization on cholera prevention measures.
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The district health department is urging the public to boil drinking water, add chlorine, and practice regular handwashing with soap after visiting toilets. Businge has also warned residents against eating cold food or drinking fluids packed in used plastic bottles.
Currently, five patients have been isolated at Panyadoli Health Center IV, and 42 contacts, including relatives of the deceased and those under isolation, have been traced and are being monitored. Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. It presents with sudden, profuse watery diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, dehydration, and abdominal discomfort.
If left untreated, the fatality rate can reach 30-50%, but with timely and adequate rehydration, it can be reduced to below 1%. The incubation period ranges from a few hours to five days. The disease primarily spreads through the consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter carrying the cholera bacterium. Inadequate access to clean water and poor sanitation are major contributors to cholera outbreaks.
As of August 2024, Panyadoli Refugee Settlement was hosting 111,450 refugees. The settlement accommodates refugees from South Sudan, Burundi, Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
