Notes from the Field : Outbreak of Vibrio cholerae Associated with Attending a Funeral — Chegutu District, Zimbabwe, 2018

Abstract

This article reports an outbreak of Vibrio cholerae in Chegutu District, Zimbabwe during 2018, which affected the attendees of the funeral of the index patient, an elderly woman who died on January 8 after 2 days of watery diarrhoea. One person who had been involved in the preparation of the dead body and who served traditional food at the multiday funeral reception at the index patient's home developed watery diarrhoea 2 days after the funeral. Six other funeral attendees, including all three decedents, had reported developing acute watery diarrhoea within 6 days of the funeral. Two of the patients who subsequently died had reported assisting with the burial. Within 4 days of the index patient's funeral, the outbreak had spread to local residents who reported no epidemiologic links to the funeral. Following a coordinated rapid response effort including surveillance, health promotion, laboratory testing, case management training, and emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene activities by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care and international partners, the Zimbabwe outbreak was contained to urban and peri-urban areas of Chegutu.