Johannesburg - The Gauteng Department of Health announced on Tuesday that two new cases of typhoid fever had been reported in the province on Monday at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.
“A 38-year-old Zimbabwean female patient, who resides in Centurion, presented in the hospital on January 21 with four days history of fever,” said in a statement.
“She was said to be quite confused on arrival in the hospital. The patient who was referred from Centurion Clinic had travelled home to Zimbabwe two weeks ago and had just returned to South Africa.”
The department said another 27-year-old Zimbabwean female patient, who has been living in SA since 2012 sought treatment at the last Wednesday – two days after her illness started.
“There was no fever, headache, vomiting nor diarrhoea. Blood tests were also carried out on the same day of her admission. She was confirmed to be typhoid positive. She is also on antibiotics.
“She currently resides in Soshanguve and her last visit to Zimbabwe was last year February. It should be noted that there are no epidemiological linkages (geographical proximity) between all the seven cases that have been identified so far.”
Provincial Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department had deployed an Outbreak Task Team in Tshwane to trace the origin of the disease.
“The team will meet with family members of the patients and do some tests. The patients are currently being treated,” said Mabona.
The new cases comes after a 27-year-old Malawian woman who was diagnosed with the disease at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital died.
Provincial Health MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu said two children, who had been admitted to Edenvale District Hospital after being diagnosed with the disease, were recovering.
“The 16-year-old currently on admission at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital is also doing remarkably well and is said to be in a quite stable condition,” said Mahlangu.
The department said it was monitoring affected areas in Hillbrow, Yeoville, Edenvale and Palm Spring.
Dr Karen Keddy Chief Pathologist at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) said Typhoid fever was not unusual during this period because people were returning from their travels.
African News Agency