Cholera alert in Orange River area

TRACES of cholera, which is potentially fatal, have been found in a river system in South Africa close to the Orange River, which forms the border between South Africa and Namibia.

Laboratory tests on water samples revealed traces of cholera in various sections of the Vaal, specifically at Barkley West, Schmidtsdrift west of Kimberley, and the Vaalharts Canal System, a few kilometres before the Vaal flows into the Orange River. The Vaal River flows into the Orange River near Douglas, 120 kilometres west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province.It is the first time that cholera organisms have been detected in water in the Northern Cape.South African health authorities warned people along the Vaal River not to drink that water.”People are further warned against swimming in rivers, ponds and canals, as well as abstaining from fishing and water sports.Furthermore, all raw water must be made clean and safe before using it for household tasks and bathing,” the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and the Health Department said in a joint press statement.The cholera samples found were the “non-toxic” form, the two authorities said.This means that the cholera in the water is the type that does not cause outbreaks or severe diseases, in contrast to the dangerous Vibrio Cholera 01-type, which does.Namibia had a cholera alert earlier this year, which was brought to the Kunene Region from southern Angola last October.Cholera is caused by a germ invading the bowels and is spread by water contaminated by faeces.Several Namibians died from diseases with similar symptoms, diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis, which are also caused by dirty water.”People who plan on swimming and participating in water sports should still be cautious and take special care not to swallow the water,” the South African authorities cautioned.”People who are directly using the river water are also warned against drinking it, and they should make use of precautionary measures by boiling it for at least three minutes or by adding domestic bleach to the raw water.”Treated water has tested negative for cholera and tap water is thus safe for all purposes, the statement added.However, South African authorities regard the cholera traces as so serious that an interdepartmental government task team was established to manage the potential water hazard.The team is making communities living near the water sources, as well as at resorts and farms, aware of situation.A representative of the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) said that for now the Orange River was safe and Namibians need not worry at this stage.”I am visiting the Orange area this week and we will conduct further tests, but so far no cholera traces were found in the Orange River,” Juergen Streit, Deputy Director of the DWAF told The Namibian by telephone from Kimberley yesterday.The Vaal River flows into the Orange River near Douglas, 120 kilometres west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province.It is the first time that cholera organisms have been detected in water in the Northern Cape.South African health authorities warned people along the Vaal River not to drink that water.”People are further warned against swimming in rivers, ponds and canals, as well as abstaining from fishing and water sports.Furthermore, all raw water must be made clean and safe before using it for household tasks and bathing,” the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and the Health Department said in a joint press statement.The cholera samples found were the “non-toxic” form, the two authorities said. This means that the cholera in the water is the type that does not cause outbreaks or severe diseases, in contrast to the dangerous Vibrio Cholera 01-type, which does.Namibia had a cholera alert earlier this year, which was brought to the Kunene Region from southern Angola last October.Cholera is caused by a germ invading the bowels and is spread by water contaminated by faeces.Several Namibians died from diseases with similar symptoms, diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis, which are also caused by dirty water.”People who plan on swimming and participating in water sports should still be cautious and take special care not to swallow the water,” the South African authorities cautioned.”People who are directly using the river water are also warned against drinking it, and they should make use of precautionary measures by boiling it for at least three minutes or by adding domestic bleach to the raw water.”Treated water has tested negative for cholera and tap water is thus safe for all purposes, the statement added.However, South African authorities regard the cholera traces as so serious that an interdepartmental government task team was established to manage the potential water hazard.The team is making communities living near the water sources, as well as at resorts and farms, aware of situation.A representative of the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) said that for now the Orange River was safe and Namibians need not worry at this stage.”I am visiting the Orange area this week and we will conduct further tests, but so far no cholera traces were found in the Orange River,” Juergen Streit, Deputy Director of the DWAF told The Namibian by telephone from Kimberley yesterday.