05 Feb 2014

Nine cases of Malaria have been reported in the Central District since Dember last year, raising fears of an outbreak.

Public health specialist at Mahalapye Hospital, Dr Jackson Kaguamba said the first case was registered in December. He said so far three people had died. They all came too late for treatment, he said.

Dr Kaguamba said Mahalapye, Shoshong, Tumasera, Sefhare and Ngwapa all had a case or more of the disease. He revealed that two of the nine patients had travelled or were from outside Botswana while the rest were locals.

He said Malaria could easily be treated if discovered early and urged the public to always seek medical attention when not feeling well so that they could get tested and treated. He said some of the signs of Malaria included headache, high body temperature, sweating and fever.

The doctor urged the general public to take precautions such as cleaning the environment, throwing away old and unused materials around the house where mosquitoes could multiply, spraying their houses with insecticides, wearing long sleeved clothes and also using mosquito nets which are sterilized with insecticides.

He said since the region was not known for Malaria, people there did not have immunity and so the disease could strike severely. Meanwhile, he said, they would intensify public education to sensitise the community about Malaria especially in the areas that were not known for the disease. ENDS