Johannesburg - The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has assured the public there is no need to panic after one person died of typhoid fever, and three others were diagnosed with it.
The cases were reportedly from Hillbrow, Yeoville and Edenvale.
“There isn’t an outbreak; there were four cases noted in Joburg over two weeks, which prompted an investigation,” NICD deputy director Professor Lucille Blumberg told The Star on Sunday.
“Three of the cases had travelled - they were imported typhoid. Only two of them had a link and they were siblings.
“Based on that, there is not an outbreak because they have different sources,” she said.
Dr Peter Vincent, medical adviser to the Netcare Travel Clinics, said it was likely the patients were contaminated in their home countries. Typhoid, he said, was highly contagious, but difficult to catch.
“It is unlikely people living in places where there is running water and good sanitation will get infected.
“People get typhoid from water or food that is contaminated with faecal matter. Therefore, it is important for those in poorer communities to ensure they drink only water which has been purified, such as tap water,” he said.
However, the Gauteng Health Department said it had activated its Outbreak Response Team to trace and manage the cases.
“We wish to assure the public that we are on the alert and we have sent environmental health practitioners to the residences of the affected patients to check whether there are other people who might have similar symptoms.
“We have also taken samples from all sources of drinking water to determine the source of this disease,” said MEC for Health in Gauteng Qedani Mahlangu.
According to the department, a 27-year-old Malawian woman died from the disease in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital a week ago.
The woman had returned from holiday three weeks ago, travelling through Mozambique.
Then last Tuesday, a 16-year-old South African girl was admitted to the same hospital where she is undergoing treatment.
She was stable and her condition was improving, Mabona said. She has never travelled out of Gauteng.
Two Zimbabwean girls, aged 3 and 11, were admitted to Edenvale District Hospital within days of each other and were also diagnosed with the fever.
The 11-year-old girl has recovered and has been discharged from the hospital, Mabona said on Monday.
The girls had returned from Zimbabwe on January 12.
Typhoid Fact File by Thobeka Ngema, IOL MOJO
What is typhoid fever?
Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease that is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi.
It is transmitted when digested through contaminated food and drink from the faeces or urine of those infected with typhoid.
The bacteria breeds then spreads through the intestines and into the bloodstream.
Symptoms of typhoid
Symptoms include fever, nausea, loss of appetite, headache, constipation or diarrhoea, anorexia, rose-coloured spots on the chest, and an enlarged spleen and liver. However, if typhoid is not properly treated, it can lead to death.
Most people begin to show symptoms of typhoid between 1-3 weeks after exposure and symptoms vary between mild and severe.
Treatment for typhoid
Typhoid can be treated with antibiotic therapy.
The use of an injected and oral vaccine like the Vi-PS and Ty21a vaccines can treat typhoid and they can also be used to control it and an outbreak.
In some instances, the infected person carries the typhoid bacteria long after treatment.
How can typhoid be prevented?
With proper education about personal hygiene, food preparation, access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation, typhoid can be prevented.
A vaccine is also available, but, it is mainly recommended for those who may have been highly exposed to contaminated food and water in high risk areas.
Is South Africa ready for typhoid?
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said that South Africa is 50% prepared for a typhoid outbreak.
For instance, they could follow the same steps they took during the Ebola crisis, by selecting hospitals that would deal with typhoid. Moreover, hospitals have quarantine units and isolated wards where communicable diseases can be contained.
Nurses are also very cautious before and after dealing with patients by washing their hands and disinfectants.
The Star and ANA