‘No need for panic’ — Tshwane and Western Cape allay fears over typhoid fever cases

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The City of Tshwane has allayed residents' fears, saying it has only noted sporadic cases of typhoid fever and there is no need to panic. 

MMC for health Rina Marx said on Monday seven laboratory-confirmed cases were reported between December last year and February. Two of these cases were reported in December, four in January and one in February.

Marx urged residents to boil suspected contaminated water and practise comprehensive hygiene. 

“Those with symptoms are advised to present to their nearest health facility for investigation, diagnosis and treatment. Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics that should be available at all health facilities,” said the MMC. 

Meanwhile, the Western Cape government clarified on Monday that there has been a misrepresentation in reports about the “rise in cases” of typhoid fever cases in the province. 

Premier Alan Winde said the recently reported statistics are based on cumulative historical data which reported old cases as new.

Winde said the province has only had seven cases this year, while 31 were reported in 2020 and 48 in 2021. 

The province has so far identified three clusters including the Cape Town metro, Garden Route and Cape Winelands district. 

“Whole-genome sequencing of enteric fever isolates, as part of the health responses, has identified specific ‘strains’ responsible for separate clusters in these districts, confirming that in those districts cases are linked and there is the ongoing local transmission.

“These local outbreaks of enteric fever are amid an annual surge of diarrhoea, which occurs annually at this time,” said Winde in a statement.

Winde also urged residents with suspected cases to report them at their nearest facilities for further investigation.

No link between 'contaminated' tap water and typhoid fever

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases dismissed claims about a link between typhoid cases and municipal water.

“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 the bacteria causing enteric fever have recently been identified in municipal water sources anywhere in the country.

“This includes those districts in the Western Cape and North West in which the clusters (small localised outbreaks) have been identified,” it said.