Fiji typhoid cases now up to 112

Submitted by TemoL on Tue, 09/03/2010 - 2:47pm

The number of people affected by the Fiji typhoid outbreak continues to rise with a further 13 confirmed cases reported this week, bringing the total to 112.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Iliesa Tora, says inspectors are now looking for possible sources of the outbreak during a two-week tour of affected areas beginning in the Northern District.

The inspection will cover sanitation and environmental contributors as well providing community leaders with information about protecting the clean water supply.

Mr Tora says identifying typhoid carriers who may be unconsciously spreading the infection will be a priority.

“What we would do then is take them in and treat them, treat them basically so that we can also go back and study their history especially their movements, of where they’ve been over the past year or so.

"We hope that would definitely help us to identify where there’s a possibility of outbreaks happening," he said.