By Francis Okiror

TWO people have died and five others admitted to Pallisa hospital following an outbreak of acute diarrhoea in Nankodo village, Buseta sub-county.

A technical team led by the district health officer, Dr. Andrew Namonyo, visited the area on Wednesday and conducted community diagnosis to ascertain the cause of the outbreak and draw strategies to control its spread.

Pallisa hospital medical superintendent Dr. Charles Katimbo said the deceased were Maria Gorretti Saana, 60, from Namisambya village and a two-year-old whom he only identified as Akirami from Nankodo village.

Those admitted are George Bulwa, Ambrose Wolyobenkaina, Perepetua Mudondo and Beatrice Kantono, all from Nankodo as well as Margaret Mwino from Namisambya.

Namonyo said the illness, whose symptoms are a painful running stomach with vomiting and general body weakness, was first reported about a week ago at Nankodo, a lakeside village.
He explained that the first victim, Joseph Wabwire, 32, was admitted in Pallisa hospital and discharged after three days.

Saana, who is Wabwire’s relative, contracted the disease when she went to visit him. She died upon arrival at the hospital, while Akirami, also a relative of Wabwire, died before she was taken to hospital.

“We have set up isolation units in the hospital wards to manage those cases and safeguard against further spread,” Namonyo stated.

“Tests and analysis shall be conducted on water from the borehole and spring well in Nankodo village, which are suspected to be the cause of the problem.”

The district health chief said the tests, which had been conducted on stool samples, had ruled out cholera.