Things are back to normal at Malwandla Primary School in Petanenge Village, Limpopo, after a bilharzia outbreak.
Amanda Mondlane, the chairperson of the school governing body, said that all 127 learners who tested positive for the disease are now stable and back in class.
The outbreak was discovered when inspectors from the education department noticed blood stains in the boys’ bathroom during a routine visit.
They told the school to test the learners for bilharzia – a disease caused by a parasite found in freshwater.
The parasites penetrate human skin to enter the bloodstream and migrate to the liver, intestines and other organs.
Symptoms include a rash, itchy skin, fever, chills, cough, headache, stomach pain, joint pain, and muscle aches.
There are concerns that the disease might have come from the school’s borehole water or the nearby Richidzelo River. Although people often swim and wash clothes and cars there, it is polluted with sewage.
However, Mondlane said they are waiting for water test results before jumping to conclusions.
The Limpopo health department treated all the infected learners, and none of the cases were critical.
There are worries that the outbreak could affect two other schools in the village, as they also use water from the same polluted river.
Mondlane hopes the health department will conduct similar tests at these schools to prevent more cases.
Despite the outbreak, Mondlane confirmed that the school is running smoothly again, and all the learners are doing well.
Pictured above: Malwandla Primary School.
Source: Supplied
