Five cases of measles have been reported in Bethlehem in Thabo Mofutsanyana district in the Free State.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that a measles outbreak which started in Limpopo has spread across the country.
It said cases had been reported in Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng and the Free State.
The NICD said that it has been tracking the cases since 8 October when the vast majority of the cases were reported in Limpopo.
Five cases of measles were reported, said health department acting spokesperson Elke de Witt.
“Patients affected are currently receiving treatment,” said De Witt.
The Free State cases come as part of the national outbreak that has affected four other provinces. The majority of the cases were recorded in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, News24 previously reported. There have been more than 220 cases reported nationally with around half of those in Limpopo.
The national health department has raised concerns that inter-provincial travelling during the festive season could further spread the disease.
The department has launched an immunisation campaign in Limpopo and said a national campaign will be launched in February.
Measles is a viral infection that is highly contagious and can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, swelling, hospitalisation, swelling of the brain and could even result in death. Measles spreads from one person to the next through close respiratory contact. It usually takes 10 to 14 days after exposure to a person infected with measles before the first symptoms develop.
Other symptoms include a sore mouth, diarrhoea, vomiting and poor appetite.
“Parents are reminded that the purpose of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in South Africa (EPI-SA) is to prevent death and reduce suffering from diseases of childhood that can be prevented by immunisation of men, women and children,” said De Witt.
Source: News24, Eyewitness News, SABC News, image from Twitter: @Mehmetvefadag