CHOLERA – SOUTH AFRICA: (PRETORIA) FATAL
A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Sun 21 May 2023
Source: Medical Xpress, Agence France-Presse (AFP) report [edited]
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-cholera-outbreak-safrica.html
An outbreak of cholera has killed at least 10 people near South
Africa’s capital of Pretoria, health authorities said Sunday [21 May
2023], urging the public to be “extra vigilant.”
The Department of Health in Pretoria’s Gauteng province said 95 people
visited a local hospital since Monday [15 May 2023] showing cholera
symptoms, including diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. Lab tests on
Sunday [21 May 2023] confirmed at least 19 cases of cholera, the
department said in a statement, adding 37 people were still undergoing
treatment. The victims included a 3-year-old child and 9 adults.
Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the provincial head for health, said
additional staff, including medics and nurses, were being mobilized to
deal with the outbreak, which was centered in Hammanskraal, an area
north of Pretoria. “We would like to reiterate and urge the public to
avoid known or suspected contaminated food, water, and surfaces and
wash hands thoroughly with soap before handling food or after using
the bathroom,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko. Cholera is contracted from a
bacterium that is generally transmitted through contaminated food or
water.
Earlier, the city of Pretoria urged residents of Hammanskraal and
surrounding areas not to drink from the tap, adding water tankers were
being supplied.
Cholera has experienced a global resurgence since 2021 after a decade
of steady decline, according to the United Nations, which this week
warned one billion people in 43 countries were at risk. The disease is
not endemic in South Africa. But the country reported a few cases this
year [2024] on the back of outbreaks in nearby Malawi and Mozambique