An outbreak of gastrointestinal infections has left seven people dead in the Hammanskraal area, north of the capital Pretoria, according to South African health authorities.
In a statement, the Gauteng provincial health department said more than 60 people were admitted to the Jubilee Hospital with watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
The same source said that outbreak response teams were dispatched to the affected areas to investigate the source of these gastrointestinal infections, first by taking samples from some patients.
Thus, citizens have been called upon to be vigilant during this period and to present themselves to the hospital if they show symptoms of mild to severe diarrhea and dehydration so that they can receive the necessary treatment.
Since last February, the appearance of cases affected by the cholera epidemic has raised the concerns of health authorities. Indeed, the country has recorded 10 confirmed cases affecting patients aged between 10 and 50 years.
The last time the country was affected by this epidemic was in 2008, with more than 12,000 cases and some 60 deaths. This is a “worrying resurgence” of cholera worldwide, according to the WHO, after years of decline, due to climate change and other factors such as poverty and conflict.