Enteric fever outbreak: City of Ekurhuleni on high alert

The City of Ekurhuleni is on high alert following the enteric fever outbreak in the Western Cape and North West provinces recently.

This comes after the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced an outbreak of the disease, also commonly known as typhoid fever, in the two provinces.

There have been no identified cases of typhoid fever in the City of Ekurhuleni as of today, February 22.

In a press release today, the metro explained enteric fever is a potentially life-threatening infection.

It includes typhoid fever (caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi) and paratyphoid fever (caused by Salmonella Paratyphi A, B and C).

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These bacteria only infect humans, and humans are the only reservoirs. Transmission of the infection is by the faecal-oral route (through ingesting food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person).

According to the metro, the symptoms of enteric fever are non-specific and can resemble many other infections.

The most characteristic symptom is a high fever that is usually prolonged.

Other symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhoea. Severe disease may occur and lead to severe complications, which can be fatal.

However, enteric fever is readily treatable with antibiotics, and most patients recover without complications.

“As a precautionary measure, the City’s environmental health practitioners are on stand-by to attend to any suspected cases of enteric fever. Should a suspected case be identified, our practitioners will be dispatched immediately to the identified patient and conduct an assessment of the patient and possible sources of exposure,” said metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

The World Health Organisation recommended the following precautionary measures to prevent and control the spread of enteric fever:

• Ensure food is adequately cooked and still hot when served.

• Avoid raw milk and products made from raw milk. Drink only pasteurised or boiled milk.

• Avoid ice unless it is made from safe water.

• When the safety of drinking water is questionable, boil it. If this is not possible, disinfect it with a reliable, slow-release disinfectant agent (usually available at pharmacies).

• Wash hands thoroughly and frequently using soap, in particular after contact with pets or farm animals, or after having been to the toilet.

• Wash fruits and vegetables carefully, mainly if they are eaten raw. If possible, vegetables and fruits should be peeled.

As stated in a press release issued by NICD on February 21, there is no evidence that recent cases of enteric fever are linked to contaminated municipal water in any part of the country, and there is no evidence that the bacteria causing enteric fever have recently been identified in municipal water sources anywhere in the country.

This includes those districts in Western Cape and North West provinces in which the clusters (small localised outbreaks) have been identified.

The city urges residents experiencing any of the listed symptoms above to present themselves to their nearest clinic or health facility for assessment, diagnosis and treatment. The city also calls for calm as there is no need for panic.

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