Measles cases in Gauteng now 165
The institute said the majority of cases were reported by primary health facilities, and mainly (59%) children under the age of one.
The number of reported measles cases in Gauteng now stands at 165.
The national institute for communicable diseases (NICD) on Thursday announced that from October 8, 2022 to April 22, 2023 the NICD had tested 5 798 samples for measles, and confirmed 17% .
“964 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported from eight provinces with declared measles outbreaks,” the institute said in a statement.
The institute said the majority of cases were reported by primary health facilities, and mainly (59%) children under the age of one.
“Members of the public are urged to ensure their children are vaccinated against measles. Nationally, the reproduction number as of April 12 was estimated to be 0.65 There is an 88% chance that the reproduction number was below 1 as of April 12.” the statement read.
This suggests that infection rate is likely decreasing.
In Gauteng, the reproduction number was estimated to be 0.85.
The NICD has not released the latest of infection numbers in Tshwane but in March, Gauteng health spokesperson Motalale Modiba revealed that 11 confirmed patients were in the metro.
The department’s plan at the moment is to vaccinate over four million children in order to curb the spread of the disease.
The current vaccination campaign targeted children aged 10 to 14 years of age
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