cholera

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera. Image: Creative Commons/Tom Kirn, Ron Taylor, Louisa Howard – Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility.

Cholera cases on the rise, sixth case confirmed in young woman

The sixth cholera case was identified during contact tracing efforts by the Outbreak Response Team, said the health department.

cholera

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera. Image: Creative Commons/Tom Kirn, Ron Taylor, Louisa Howard – Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility.

The Department of Health on Thursday, 2 March, confirmed the sixth laboratory-confirm case of cholera in South Africa.

READ: Cholera outbreak: Six confirmed cases in SA, says NICD

SIXTH CHOLERA CASE

“The case/patient is a 19-year-old female residing in Emandleni informal settlement in Benoni, Ekurhuleni District in Gauteng,” said department spokesperson Foster Mohale.

The 19-year-old was identified during contact tracing efforts by the Outbreak Response Team.

The woman was one of two out of 1160 who exhibited symptoms of cholera and were referred to the hospital for testing.

“Her test results came back positive, and she was given treatment and recovering well.

“The health officials will intensify contact tracing and health education in the affected areas,” said Mohale.

LOCAL SOURCE YET TO BE IDENTIFIED

As previously reported, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said at least two of the six cases were picked up within the country’s borders. This meets the threshold for an outbreak to be declared.

The department cautioned against public panic but expressed concern about the rising number of cases.

The local source of cholera is yet to be identified. People must practice good hand hygiene and avoid drinking or preparing food with untreated water from rivers or dams.

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