Four health teams are currently on the ground to continue with the investigation and raise awareness following the diarrheal disease outbreak in Balevuto in Ba.

This has been highlighted by Health and Medical Services, Minister Dr Antonio Lalabalavu while updating members of parliament on the outbreak.

Dr Lalabalavu says the Ministry’s health team in the Western Division, in the Ba health subdivision command center, and the Ba Sub-divisional Outbreak Response Team (SDORT) have been tracking the reported outbreak of diarrheal illness in the Balevuto Medical Area.

He adds that the water test results show that the water sampled from the taps of households is free of bacterial contaminants, and the current findings indicate that the Water Authority of Fiji water supply is not the cause of the increase in diarrhea cases.

“From September 4th- 8th there have been 31 cases reported, with another 30 reported in the previous week. The cases were from the communities of Balevuto, Nukuloa, Nacaci and Toge, and the commonly reported symptoms were fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea (some with blood in stool), joint pains, and body pains.”

Dr Lalabalavu says that the young and elderly populations are most likely to develop severe illnesses requiring hospitalization.

“Initial laboratory investigations for the patients conducted at the Lautoka Aspen Hospital laboratory indicate that the illness is likely caused by bacteria, specifically the Shigella bacteria, which is known to cause diarrheal illness. The Ministry is awaiting confirmatory results on the specific bacteria.”

The Ministry’s Environmental Health Officers in Ba have carried out environmental and water source investigations, which include inspections and collecting water samples that have been sent to the Fiji CDC laboratory in Suva for further testing.

The health Minister says the Ba subdivisional outbreak response team are continuing with the distribution of WASH kits, purification tablets, and conducting public health awareness, and the Commissioner Western Office is working closely with the Water Authority of Fiji in the flushing and refilling of water tanks.

The Ministry of Health is continuing to prioritize its effort to ensure that our communities and families have access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in its annual plan of action.

Diarrheal diseases can be caused by consuming contaminated food or water, including swimming in contaminated water.