Department sounds diarrhoea season warning

The provincial Department of Health and Wellness has urged communities to take extra precautions with hygiene during diarrhoea season, warning that the illness can be fatal for babies and small children if not treated early.

The province sees an increase in diarrhoea cases from November to May.

During the last diarrhoea season, more than 48 000 children under 5 were treated for the illness at public health facilities in the province, with 5 290 needing to be hospitalised, while 15 young children died due to severe diarrhoea.

Department spokesperson Shimoney Regter said more than 2000 cases were counted in the Kraaifontein, Brackenfell and Kuils River clinics during that surge.

“However, only 187 admissions (in hospitals) were recorded at our facilities. No deaths were recorded,” she told Northern News.

She said dehydration, due to stomach infections, remains one of the main causes of the illness and death in children under the age of 5.

Ms Regter said the highly infectious virus thrives in hot weather, is transmitted by flies and preys on babies and children.

Children who are malnourished and have other illnesses are more likely to contract gastro and develop fatal complications as a result.

Dirty water, dirty toilets, unwashed hands, bottle feeding with bottles that are not sanitised, contaminated food and flies will increase your risk of getting diarrhoea.

She said the best prevention is to keep hands, food, cooking utensils and toilets clean.

The dustbins must be closed, animal faeces collected and thrown away, and food scrapings, used nappies and sanitary towels put into a plastic bag and thrown into a dustbin.

“Sadly, even with the best hygiene, many will still get gastro,” she said, adding that an oral rehydration solution can replenish lost body fluids.

“Take the solution with you should you need to take your child to the clinic so that your child does not dehydrate on the way: using a clean 1-litre bottle, mix 1 litre cooled boiled water with ½ a teaspoon of salt and 8 teaspoons of sugar. Mix well,” she said.

Signs that your child needs urgent medical care:

• Rapid breathing. It is a symptom of pneumonia and diarrhoea.

• Chest retraction. If your child does not drink and/or vomits everything up.

• If your child has convulsions.

• Your child is weak and just stares into space.

• There is blood in the stool.

• Your child is very sleepy or does not want to wake up.