Tshwane ‘epicentre’ of cholera outbreak – health minister
A total of 99 cases have been reported in Tshwane, seven in the past 24 hours.
Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla declared Tshwane the epicentre of the cholera outbreak in the country on Wednesday.
“The majority of cholera cases reported are identified in Kanana in Hammanskraal,” Phaahla said.
“The area has contributed 90% of the reported cholera cases in Tshwane.”
The death toll in the country is standing at 24 – 23 people in Gauteng and one in Free State.
Tshwane has 99 confirmed cases, seven in the past 24 hours.
The cases are distributed as follows: three at Jubilee Hospital and one each at a military hospital, Eugene Marais Life Hospital, Netcare Montana as well as Odi Hospital.
The first reported case was of a 56-year-old man from Musina in Limpopo, who was visiting Hammanskraal.
“The patient is a police officer, who was attending a three-week course at the SAPS college in Hammanskraal.
“The man arrived on May 7 and started at the college on May 8,” Phaahla said.
“On Friday, May 12, he complained of diarrhoea and vomiting and was taken to Muelmed hospital in Pretoria on May 15.
“Laboratory tests confirmed cholera on May 15 and further confirmed by the NICD on May 18.
“The patient is still in ICU in a stable condition receiving treatment,” Phaahla said.
A follow-up by an outbreak response team revealed that more students were complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms.
A total of 33 were seen at various health facilities resulting in eight admissions and all are in stable condition.
The Department of Health and Gauteng health outbreak response teams were called to Jubilee Hospital on May 19.
The department was informed of the big number of patients arriving with gastrointestinal symptoms since Monday, May 15.
The same day that the police officer was admitted to Muelmed hospital.
He said in the seven days from May 17 – 23, 163 patients presented at Jubilee with diarrhoea and vomiting at an average of 23 patients per day.
The number of deaths was 17 in seven days.
In the subsequent seven days from May 24 – 30, the number declined to 30 patients at an average of four patients per day and a total of two deaths.
Phaahla said the interventions were to create special wards and deploy specialists in Jubilee.
“Our interventions included the creation of special cholera and gastroenteritis wards.
“The deployment of specialist gastroenteritis physician to Jubilee, fast-tracking of laboratory results and the setting up of a field hospital,” he continued.
He said the City of Tshwane water department and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) are continuing to examine the water sources to determine contamination.
“We are confident that the outbreak in Tshwane will be contained.”
DWS is working with the ward councillor of Kanana.
Health outreach teams have been deployed to educate communities about cholera and reinforce messages of prevention through basic hand hygiene, water and food safety,” Phaahla concluded.
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