Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has confirmed the outbreak of diphtheria in the Western Cape which was first detected at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre.

The inmate died on November 5, a week after falling ill, after his condition deteriorated.

“A 19-year-old male inmate presented with diphtheria symptoms on October 28, and was referred to the local hospital for further medical care. Throat swabs were collected the same day for culture laboratory testing and the results came back positive five days later (November 2). Unfortunately, his health continued to deteriorate until he regrettably passed away on November 5.

“Public health measures were undertaken to put the outbreak under control, and these include contact tracing of inmates, Correctional Services staff, consulting health-care workers and emergency services personnel.”

Tests were conducted on the 55 identified close contacts, with eight inmates testing positive for diphtheria, two of whom presented with mild symptoms.

All the patients were in the 18–23 age group.

Those who had been in close contact with the infected people have been put in isolation to prevent further spread of the disease, the Health Department said.

Two staff members displayed symptoms compatible with diphtheria and have received treatment while waiting for their test results.

“The Western Cape Department of Health Disease Outbreak Team, working together with the Department of Correctional Services, have embarked on a vaccination campaign in the affected section of the correctional centre. Two laboratory-confirmed cases of diphtheria disease were recorded earlier in the year from an adult in KwaZulu-Natal and a child in the Western Cape,” the Health Department said.

Diphtheria is an uncommon, vaccine-preventable infection caused by a toxin-producing bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheria.

It may lead to difficulty in breathing, heart rhythm problems, and death. The bacteria spreads from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.

Read more in Friday’s “Cape Times”.

Cape Times

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Diphtheria outbreak claims life of 19-year-old Pollsmoor inmate