The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has announced there is no evidence linking the outbreak of enteric, aka typhoid fever, cases to municipal water sources anywhere in the country.
The NICD made the statement on Monday after numerous claims on social media that the national water sources were contaminated, causing panic.
“These posts allege that there are cases of enteric fever in certain towns or provinces caused by contaminated municipal water, or that the bacteria causing enteric fever have been identified in certain municipal water sources,” the NICD said.
“There is no evidence that cases of enteric fever are linked to contaminated municipal water.
“There is also no evidence that the bacteria causing enteric fever have recently been identified in municipal water sources in the country.
“This includes those districts in the Western Cape and North West provinces in which the clusters have been identified,” the NICD said.
Last week, the NICD announced an outbreak of typhoid fever in the Western Cape and North West.
The Western Cape Government said on Monday seven cases have been reported.
The NICD urged people to continue washing their hands with soap and water before, during and after preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, and before and after caring for a sick person.
If there is a concern about the safety of the water, it should be boiled, or treated with household bleach – add one teaspoon of bleach to 20-25 litres of water, mix well and leave to stand for 30 minutes before use.
IOL