The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is yet to establish the nature and cause of a mysterious disease that broke out in parts of Hwange District in Matabeleland North province early this year.
At least 43 people from the district were admitted to Lukosi Hospital after suffering from the unknown ailment in May.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care instituted investigations into the strange disease, a month after the outbreak but almost three months on officials from the ministry say the causes are yet to be established.
Initially results of the investigations were expected by the end of July this year. Provincial medical director (PMD) for Matabeleland North Dr Nyasha Masuka told Sunday News last week that the investigations were still in progress.
Dr Masuka was this time around non-committal on when the investigations will be complete.
He said a student at the University of Zimbabwe College Of Health Sciences was carrying out the investigations as part of his studies.
“The results of the study are not yet out. The student is doing six studies and we are hoping he will be through soon. He is a Masters student in our
Master of Public Health Field Epidemiology Training programme with the University Of Zimbabwe College Of Health Sciences.
“As part of their field attachment they do six different field studies including an Outbreak Investigation. He is doing an outbreak investigation for the Outbreak in Lukosi in retrospect to find out “risk factors that were associated with developing the illness,” said Dr Masuka.
Dr Masuka added, “We are however, happy that we have not had any similar cases since then”.
The case control study involves comparing 43 patients who were affected by the disease with 86 other villagers from the same area who were not affected.
Dr Masuka said the idea was to look back to see what the affected people were exposed to which those who didn’t get the illness may not have been exposed to.
The mysterious disease which broke out between April and May this year saw the affected villagers complaining of back aches, joint pains and high temperatures. According to authorities, the patients showed malaria symptoms but none of them tested positive for the disease, leaving doctors puzzled. No deaths were reported in the area as a result of the mysterious disease.
All the patients were admitted for an average of four days and were treated and discharged. At the time the cases were reported, health workers could not conduct blood culture and other blood tests as the patients reportedly failed to pay for the tests. -@irielyan
