Durban — Washing your hands can prevent one from contracting diseases, health-care professionals say.
Sister Daisy Mndebele from Vryheid Hospital said keeping ones hands clean could play a role in keeping away mumps and diphtheria.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) recently confirmed the outbreak of mumps, with the majority of cases reported in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
The NICD said mumps was an acute viral infection caused by the rubella virus rubulavirus, also known as mumps virus. It was sometimes called infectious parotitis, as it caused painful swelling of the parotid and or salivary glands. The NICD said mumps was generally a mild childhood disease that mostly affected children aged from 5 to 9. However, younger and older children as well as adults could become infected. It said people who have had mumps were usually protected for life against another infection
Mndebele said hands pick up all the germs and it was important they were always clean. “Washing hands with soap before eating or doing anything is crucial,” she said.
Dr Khaya Buthelezi from Vryheid Hospital urged parents to have their children vaccinated because he said mumps and diphtheria could be avoided. Buthelezi said it was also crucial to vaccinate children on their due dates. He said the number of children aged from 5 to 9 infected with mumps increased to 83% this year.
“Cases of adults from 30 to 34 years old increased to 67%. If a parent sees any signs they should rush their child to hospital or clinic as soon as possible,” Buthelezi said.
He said diphtheria could be avoided through vaccination, especially infants and children. “Children and infants are the ones who are at a higher risk and are the spreaders of both diphtheria and mumps,” Buthelezi said.
The NICD confirmed two cases of diphtheria in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal - a child in the Western Cape and an adult in KwaZulu-Natal.
It said diphtheria was a contagious, airborne bacterial infection spread through coughing or sneezing.
eNCA clinical microbiologist Anne von Gottberg said the cases of diphtheria were not surprising as vaccine coverage went down during the pandemic.
“We urge that parents and guardians take their infants for their due doses, as well as 16 and 14 weeks doses and boosters at 18 months. We are also asking anyone who might have missed doses to present themselves to a clinic or hospital so they can be vaccinated,” she said.
Von Gottberg said the reason the two cases were called an outbreak is because it was the number of cases they were not expecting. She said all ages should be aware of the disease. She said if vaccines were given to infants and children aged from 6 to 12, the country would have immunity.
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