Measles outbreak hits Gauteng as four cases are reported in Tshwane and West Rand

The national health department reported on Monday that the City of Tshwane was experiencing an outbreak of measles. This came after four reported cases of measles were detected in the province over the past two weeks.

Foster Mohale, the department’s spokesperson said three cases are known to be epidemiologically linked and were from individuals residing in Tshwane and the fourth case was from an individual in the West Rand, Mohlale said.

All four individuals are isolated and are recovering. “The four people who were diagnosed with measles had been notified and ultimately confirmed through laboratory testing conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD).

“Health authorities in the affected districts and communities are working together to identify and conduct vaccination of contacts.”

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has called for calm and has asked people to be vigilant. “The cases of measles in the province were detected during routine surveillance activities aimed at detecting, investigating and responding to every suspected case of this vaccine-preventable disease.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two or more cases of measles in a health district within one month is regarded as a measles outbreak. Phaahla urged parents to ensure that their children are up to date with vaccinations in line with the scheduled vaccinations against measles and other childhood diseases.

“Measles is highly a contagious disease caused by a virus, which mainly spreads through infectious airborne respiratory droplets from infected persons when coughing or sneezing. However, the measles vaccine has been in use for almost 60 years and is the best protection against this life-threatening childhood disease,” Phaahla explained.

Phaahla said measles symptoms include fever, red eyes, runny nose and a cough, which appear before the child starts having a rash. Unvaccinated children are at risk of measles and its complications, including irreversible brain damage or death, especially in immunocompromised or malnourished children.

He said health officials are working closely with the department, the City of Tshwane, the NICD, and other stakeholders such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, to investigate and respond when cases arise.

Source: City Press, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, image from Twitter

Doctor Mahlaule

Doctor Mahlaule previously worked as a Freelance Journalist at Find-it SA where he was responsible for writing news articles and sharing them on social media platforms. Doctor Mahlaule holds a Diploma in Journalism, BA in Communication Science and a BA Honours in Media Studies. Doctor began his journey as a knowledge Management and Communications Intern at Zenex Foundation. He was responsible for support in event management, social media, website maintenance, writing and brand management. On weekends Doctor attends prison ministry and shares the scriptures with inmates at Krugersdorp prison and plays soccer in the afternoon on some weekends. He has a passion for reading and writing and enjoys going out with friends and socialising in his spare time. He has a one-year-old son and is planning on getting married soon. When asked about what keeps him going, he said: “My family keeps me going. I’m the man I am because I come from a loving home. I have a very supportive family who always encourages me to keep pushing hard.”

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