KwaZulu-Natal Health has urged residents of Vryheid and surrounding areas in the northern part of the province to only drink bottled water or water that had been disinfected. IoL reports that this followed the admission of scores of people to Vryheid Hospital who were suffering from diarrhoea. According to the management of the Zululand Health District, 54 patients were treated between 22 and 24 March. The patients were from Bhekuzulu, Lakeside and Vryheid town.
"The Abaqulusi District Municipality has been placed under administration following certain irregularities, including failure to guarantee the provision of water that is safe for human consumption," said KZN Health is quoted in the report as saying.
"On 26 March 2019, a further six patients were admitted to hospital with diarrhoea, including two from Sasko and another two from the Dumbe-Bilanyoni area. While environmental health practitioners have begun taking samples of water in the affected areas and elsewhere, the province’s Communicable Diseases Control has also taken stool samples from patients in order to determine the exact cause of their illness."
According to the report, the KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department said it had sent a team of engineers and infrastructure specialists to "have a closer look at the situation". The local health district had begun loud-hailing and handing out flyers on the safe use of water.
[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/diarrhoea-outbreak-kzn-health-warns-vryheid-residents-against-tap-water-20123807"]IoL report[/link]