Pretoria - While health stakeholders are urging caution following confirmed cases of cholera in Gauteng, the province’s Department of Health and Wellness says there is no need to panic as the situation is under control.
MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko pleaded with Gauteng residents not to panic, after the health minister recently confirmed that there were two laboratory-confirmed cholera cases reported on February 1 and 3 in Johannesburg.
“The situation is under control. Our outbreak response teams have been activated and we have increased surveillance efforts. The Gauteng Department of Health is working closely with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization and the National Department of Health to closely monitor the cholera cases,” she said.
According to the national department, the cases came from two sisters who had travelled together from Johannesburg on January 15 to Malawi, to attend a funeral service, and returned by bus on January 30.
Both sisters had developed cholera symptoms on their return to Johannesburg.
While one of the sisters visited their local clinic and was later admitted to hospital on January 31, it was only during investigations and following up on close contacts that the second sister reported that she also developed diarrhoea while travelling back from Malawi.
However, it resolved within a day and she did not seek medical care.
In a bid to prevent the spread of cholera, the department’s outbreak response teams have visited households for the identified cases and those of the 18 contacts, who will be followed up on for five days as part of their standard protocol.
Furthermore, the MEC said the department was currently conducting advocacy and health education groups as part of its social mobilisation drive to the respective households.
“It is important that we encourage communities to practise proper hand hygiene, which includes thorough washing of hands with water and soap before and after using the bathroom and also when preparing or eating food.
“We further plead with community members to visit the nearest health facilities in case they present mild to severe and watery diarrhoea and dehydration symptoms,” added Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Cholera spreads mainly through contaminated or polluted water.
People of all ages can become infected directly through drinking contaminated water or indirectly through eating contaminated food.
Cholera, which typically causes acute watery diarrhoea, can be mild or without symptoms but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
Pretoria News