Mchinji District Health Office officials have diagnosed two cholera cases at Mikundi Health facility in the district, an incident that has put a dent on Mchinji’s record of zero cholera cases for the past four years.

Confirming the development on Friday, Mchinji District Health Promotions Officer, Owen Chataika said both patients are from Made Village, in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mduwa in the district. 

He said three patients from the village were brought at the facility on March 23, 2019 where their samples were collected and sent to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) for laboratory testing and two of the three samples tested positive for Cholera. 

“There is a Male patient, 49 and female, 20 both of the same village,” the Health Promotions Officer said. “Yesterday a Rapid Response Team from our office went to the area to assess the households where the patients come from and conducted health education to the communities.”

He said both patients have been admitted in a separate camp at the facility as a preventive measure against further spread of the disease.

Chataika said people should not panic, saying medical officials in the district are well equipped to contain the disease if it hits further.

He said the District Health Office (DHO) has established that lack of safe water is a risk factor in the area.