The village of Soa in Wainibuka, Tailevu, last month recorded 20 confirmed cases of typhoid, turaganikoro Wame Ratadai told The Fiji Times yesterday.
He said the disease mainly affected youths in the village. “These cases were recorded last month alone and the first case of typhoid we recorded here was a student,” he said.
Mr Ratadai said the youngest patient was a four-year-old child. He said the alarming number of typhoid cases recorded in the village was shocking.
Mr Ratadai said having access to safe drinking water was a major problem for them.
“We have requested those in authority for assistance because most families in the village do not have access to clean water.”
Village nurse Virisila Tuvounisigani said kava consumption was one of the contributing factors to typhoid.
“Villagers have now been advised to be very careful when drinking kava,” she said.
“There were some inflicted that we were able to transport to Nayavu because of the seriousness of the sickness.”
