Pretoria - Water sample results in the City of Tshwane had not detected Salmonella typhi bacteria, which is known for causing typhoid fever, said MMC for Health Rina Marx.
The MMC was reacting to reports doing the rounds on social media about the outbreak of typhoid in the metro.
She came out this week to reassure residents that there was no typhoid fever outbreak in Tshwane.
She dismissed such reports as fake news, noting that they have no factual basis and could potentially scare residents.
“This message comes after we noted false social media reports suggesting that there is an outbreak of typhoid fever in Gauteng,” she said.
Marx said the City’s monthly water sample results drawn from laboratory tests were compliant “with no Salmonella typhi bacteria detected”.
She stressed that social media reports were “not factually-based and create unnecessary panic among residents”.
“Therefore, I call on our residents to always verify information and not spread fake news,” Marx said.
She explained that enteric fever, also known as typhoid fever, is a systemic illness caused by bacterial infection with Salmonella typhi.
“It spreads by ingesting contaminated food or water and direct contact from person to person. Typhoid is a notifiable disease and should be reported to the Department of Health by the diagnosing health facility,” Marx said.
Typhoid symptoms may include a fever that is on and off during the first week but becomes sustained (lasting for 48 hours), headache, abdominal pain or cramps, nausea and vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea. Flu-like symptoms may also occur.
Marx said only 43 typhoid cases had been recorded in Tshwane from December 2021, to date.
“Laboratory tests confirmed that these cases were not geographically linked, and they remain sporadic with no indication of an outbreak. Furthermore, no fatalities have been recorded. Our monthly water sample results are compliant, with no Salmonella typhi bacteria detected.”
Similar fake news about a typhoid outbreak was reported in February this year, but they were dismissed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) as false.
At the time, the NICD reported that there was no evidence of typhoid fever linked to contaminated municipal water in any part of the country.
Marx said: “Should you suspect that you have contracted typhoid, please visit your nearest health facility for further investigation and confirmation. Our City outbreak response teams are monitoring the situation.”
Pretoria News