Rustenburg - Three cases of measles have been confirmed in Rustenburg, the North West health department said on Wednesday.
Cases of suspected measles were reported at Luka, Seraleng and Ikemeleng.
"The first case is of a three-year-old from Ikemeleng Kroondal who had [a] history of travel to Mozambique in September. Case two is aged one-month-old from Luka who was admitted at Job Shimankane Tabane Hospital with severe fever and diarrhoea. Case three is aged 11-year-old from Seraleng," said spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane.
"All the cases have been confirmed by [the National Institute for Communicable Diseases] NICD through [a] blood test. Twenty-two other specimens from suspects are also being tested. The outbreak was declared last week."
Nine teams of health officials have been dispatched to execute massive outreach campaigns aimed at immunising children under the age of 15 years as a way to curb the situation.
Measles is a viral infection that can be fatal amongst children. It affects children especially under the age of five – yet it is preventable by a vaccine.
It spread through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing. Complications caused by measles include blindness, brain swelling, severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections and pneumonia.
Research has indicated that one out of every 1000 measles cases progresses to permanent brain damage.