Senior Communications Manager for the NICD, Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, said social media posts containing false information are causing unnecessary panic.

“These posts allege either that there are currently cases of enteric fever in certain towns or provinces caused by contaminated municipal water, or that the bacteria causing enteric fever have been identified in certain municipal water sources,” the statement reads.

“There is no evidence that recent cases of enteric fever are linked to contaminated municipal water in any part of the country, and there is no evidence that the bacteria causing enteric fever have recently been identified in municipal water sources anywhere in the country,” Ms Jimoh said.

To protect yourself from enteric fever and many other infections you can do the following:

• Maintain good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water:
– before, during and after preparing food,
– before and after eating,
– before and after caring for someone that is sick,
– after using the toilet,
– after changing nappies or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet.

• Food safety (as prescribed by the World Health Organisation):
– keep food clean;
– separate raw and cooked food;
– cook food thoroughly;
– keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.
– Washing hands with soap and water before, during and after preparing food and before eating, is especially important.

• Using safe water:
– When there is concern about the quality of water you are using for drinking and cooking, then it is recommended to treat the water first by boiling it (place water in a clean container and bring to a boil for one minute) or treating it with household bleach (add one teaspoon of household bleach (containing 5% chlorine) to 20-25 litres of water, mix well and leave it to stand for at least 30 minutes before use).