Typhoid outbreak in Kampala: threat to tourists?

The number of officially acknowledged typhoid cases has now risen to over 500 across some parts of Kampala. Most of the cases are thought to originate from some of the city’s slums, and those found infected appear to be working in and around the city’s taxi park and some of the markets.

Ministry of Health and Kampala Capital City Authority medical staff have broadly advised Kampaleans and visitors to refrain from buying any fruits, juices, or ice cream from vendors on the street to avoid infection. They also confirmed that they suspect contaminated water sources, often wells tapped into by people unable to afford piped water, to be the main cause of the present outbreak.

Health authorities and tourism stakeholders were swift to point out that tourists are most unlikely to come into contact with the disease and that no additional precautions like preventative medication are required at this point.

“When we take tourists for a walk in the city, we normally have a certain route. We go to the craft shops at the National Theatre, show them the hustle and bustle of Kampala road, and at times even take them to the trade area around Luwum and William street. For now, we will skip that part of town because there is more to see somewhere else in the city. There are the monuments near Sheraton and the law courts and the railways station in which some express interest,” said one regular source.

Neither the Ministry of Tourism nor Tourism Uganda, aka Uganda Tourism Board, have issued any statements yet which could be featured here.