Cape Town – The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, has reached 17, according to the Gauteng department of health.
As of Wednesday, 165 patients had been treated at Jubilee District Hospital, with 18 of them being transferred to other health facilities in Tshwane.
There have been 29 laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera, and 67 patients are currently being treated for gastrointestinal infection, the department said.
“The department continues to urge people to ensure proper hand hygiene, which includes thorough washing of hands with water and soap or alcohol-based sanitiser, before handling food and after using the toilet,” the department said.
The outbreak has mainly affected Gauteng and Free State, with one case detected in another province.
The source of contamination is still being determined, and healthcare workers are advised to treat all diarrhoea cases as suspected cholera until proven otherwise.
The City of Tshwane is increasing the provision of water tankers and advising residents to wash containers with bleach detergent and boil water from other sources.
South Africa reported its first cholera death in February after the virus arrived in the country from Malawi.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
