The Department of Health has urged the public to take extra cautionary measures and maintain proper hand-hygiene as the country experiences an outbreak of Stomach Flu or gastrointestinal infection, and the rising number of laboratory-confirmed cases of Cholera.
In a statement, the department said it has been informed of cases of people presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria in the past few days.
This has resulted in over 50 people receiving medical care at Jubilee Hospital.
“Gastrointestinal illness is a common and often highly infectious condition that affects the stomach and intestines. The disease typically spreads by contact with an infected person or through contaminated food or water, and individuals generally become ill 12 – 48 hours after exposure.
“Some of the common symptoms include diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever”.
Also, a number of cholera cases have also been detected in Vredefort and Parys in the Free State.
Members of the public are urged to avoid known or suspected contaminated food, water and surfaces, and wash hands to prevent possible infection.
The provincial and district outbreak response teams in both provinces have been dispatched to the affected communities to further investigate the source of the outbreaks, and intensify health education and promotion to empower the community members with health information, the department said.
