The Ministry of Health announced that cholera was found in the cases of severe diarrhoea in Shwe Kokko Village, Myawady Township, Karen State, and that a patient died on December 19.
A total of 104 patients were admitted to the Sitagu Chitthu Hospital in the village with diarrhoea symptoms from December 17 to 23, and of them, 19 were still in hospital until December 23.The patient who died on December 19 had a cardiac problem.
According to the cases of severe diarrhoea in the village, it is found that the disease was spreading mostly in the places where workers live, and measures on water and environmental sanitation, tasks for four ways of preventing the disease spreading and campaign on health awareness are being stepped up in these places, the announcement said.
The announcement said that as soon as news on the severe diarrhoea outbreak in Shwe Kokko Village was received, the prevention and control activities were accelerated, and necessary medicines were provided to Sitagu Chitthu Hospital instantaneously and that intravenous fluids, bleaching powder containers, water purification tablets, packs of oral rehydration salt solution and antibiotics were delivered there for prevention and treatment on the disease.
In addition, instruction has been given to take monitoring measures on the diarrhoea with a special attention in the townships of Kawkareik, Hlaingbwe and Hpa-an along the Myawady-Hpa-an route, and field response teams have been formed to carry out diarrhoea prevention and control tasks upon necessary, the announcement said.
Necessary medicines have also been stockpiled at Myawady Hospital, and arrangement has been made to provide the medicines as in the amount of medicines requested by the disease prevention and control teams.If necessary, with the support of the World Health Organization, arrangements will be made to administer the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) to high-risk groups of people in the townships of Myawady, Hpa-an and Hlaingbwe connected with Shwe Kokko Village, the announcement said.
According to the announcement, diarrhoea cases that occured in some regions and states have been delivered to National Health Laboratory (Yangon) for laboratory test starting July 2024, and the test result could confirm that those cases are because of the transmission of cholera which causes severe diarrhoea.It is learnt that there has been no norovirus infection in Myanmar so far.
According to the announcement, activities on continuous monitoring of diarrhoeal cases are being carried out in Nay Pyi Taw, regions and states, and disease prevention and control measures are being stepped up as a priority.
Regarding the spread of severe diarrhea, measures: giving medical treatment at hospitals; controlling the spread of the disease through hospitals; chlorinating water; distributing water purification tablets; administering Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV); and administering antibiotics to close contact persons to break the transmission chain of the disease by visiting the homes of infected people are being carried taken instantaneously with a special attention as a priority, the announcement said.
