City Of Mutare Quells Bedbugs Outbreak Rumors In Sakubva

By Evans Jona

MUTARE — Mutare City Council has dismissed as false circulated social media reports alleging a bedbug (tsikidzi) outbreak in the city’s high-density suburb of Sakubva.

The reports, which spread rapidly across social media platforms on Friday, claimed that the local authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, had confirmed an infestation in the area — assertions now branded baseless by city authorities.

In a public notice issued on Saturday, the City of Mutare reassured residents that no confirmed cases of bedbugs had been recorded at Bako Flea Market or anywhere in Sakubva. The local authority clarified that ongoing fumigation exercises were routine and preventive, prompted by confirmed outbreaks in other parts of the country.

“City of Mutare is currently conducting routine spraying of potential bedbug breeding areas in and around the city,” the notice read. “Due to confirmed outbreaks of bedbugs in the country, we have also scaled up awareness campaigns to educate our residents on how to protect themselves in the event of an outbreak. Please note that there are no confirmed cases of bedbugs in the Bako Flea Market.”

The council said all potential bedbug breeding and spread areas, including markets and residential spaces, were being targeted for fumigation as part of a broader public health strategy.

As part of its ongoing awareness campaign, the City of Mutare also shared information with residents on how to identify bedbugs and prevent their spread. Bedbugs, the council explained, are not transmitted directly from person to person like lice, but travel by hitchhiking on belongings such as clothing, luggage, bedding, and furniture. They can also move from one house to another through cracks in walls.

Typical signs of infestation include itchy bites that often appear in clusters or lines, rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets, and the presence of live bugs or their eggs.

Residents have been urged to remain alert, maintain good hygiene, and report any suspected infestations to council health officials for prompt investigation and intervention.

The heightened vigilance in Mutare follows confirmed reports of a serious bedbug infestation in Harare’s Mbare suburb. Several residential blocks, hostels, and public areas in Mbare were reported to be heavily infested, prompting city health officials to embark on emergency fumigation exercises.

The outbreak in Mbare, one of Harare’s oldest and most densely populated suburbs, caused widespread concern among residents.
In response, City of Mutare has since intensified their own routine fumigation programmes and public awareness efforts to prevent similar outbreaks.

The local authority assured residents it would continue providing regular updates as monitoring, fumigation, and education campaigns progress across the city.