Two of four identified typhoid fever cases in Johannesburg was at Edenvale Hospital, the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement on Sunday.
The other two cases were identified at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. One of the patients, a 27-year-old Malawian female patient, died at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital on Sunday, January 17.
“We have activated our Outbreak Response Team to trace and manage these cases and to determine if there is a common source. We wish to assure the public that we are on the alert. People must always wash their hands,” said MEC for Health in Gauteng Ms Qedani Mahlangu.
The Outbreak Response Team has alerted all members of the Outbreak Response about these typhoid cases and sent environmental health practitioners to the residences of the affected patients to check whether there are other people who might have similar symptoms and have taken samples from all sources of drinking water to determine the source of this disease.
The team has also checked on patients at all affected health facilities. They will continue to be on the alert and have advised all health professionals in Gauteng to also be vigilant.The deceased patient travelled to her home country three weeks ago for holidays and returned to South Africa through Mozambique on Tuesday, January 12, the department said.
She visited Hillbrow Community Health Centre on January 14, complaining of fever, headache and vomiting. She was tested for malaria and since the results were negative and she was not seriously ill looking, she was discharged and asked to come back if her symptoms persisted.
Tests for typhoid fever was not conducted because this disease is not prevalent in the community.
While home she felt more sick and returned to the clinic on January 15 and was referred to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.
She went to the hospital on January 16, complaining of a severe fever, headache and joint pains. She died the next day. Tests confirmed she died of typhoid fever.
According to the health department, a 16-year-old South African teenage girl was admitted at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital on January 19, complaining of the same symptoms. She was immediately diagnosed with typhoid, is undergoing treatment, stable and improving.
She has never travelled out of the country or anywhere outside Gauteng.
Two Zimbabwean girls, aged 11 and 3, were admitted at Edenvale Hospital on January 13 and 22 respectively. They were diagnosed with typhoid and are under treatment, stable and improving.
It is understood that both children just returned from Zimbabwe, their home country, on January 12 after brief visits there.
Typhoid is a highly infectious disease and spreads through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. It is common in communities where there is inadequate sanitation. Poor personal hygiene is also responsible for the rapid spread of the disease. It is particularly important to wash hands before preparing food.
Symptoms of typhoid includes high fever, headache, joint pains and abdominal discomfort sometimes with vomiting.
Health professionals are advised to test such patients for typhoid and if not possible, they must be referred to institutions that are capable of conducting such tests.
