The Ministry of Health has confirmed a cholera outbreak in Panyadoli Refugee Settlement, Kiryandongo District, following the deaths of two South Sudanese refugees.
The victims, both female adults aged 40 and 49, died last Thursday at Panyadoli Hill Health Center III and Panyadoli Health Center IV after arriving in critical condition with cholera-like symptoms, including vomiting, fever, and severe watery diarrhea.
Health officials initially identified seven suspected cases, with stool samples and rectal swabs sent to the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Kampala for confirmation. Test results have now confirmed cholera.
Emmanuel Businge, Acting District Health Educator for Kiryandongo, said that health authorities have launched an investigation to identify the source of contamination. The district has intensified case management and surveillance while sensitizing the community on cholera prevention.
Public health officials have urged residents to boil drinking water, use chlorine for purification, and wash hands with soap after using toilets. They have also warned against eating cold food and drinking fluids packed in used plastic bottles.
Currently, five patients are in isolation at Panyadoli Health Center IV, and 42 contacts, including relatives of the deceased, are under monitoring.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. It presents with profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and abdominal discomfort. Authorities are urging strict hygiene measures to contain the outbreak and prevent further fatalities.
