Minister of Health Joe Phaahla has called for vigilance after a third case of imported cholera was confirmed on Tuesday.
The patient is a 24-year-old man who showed severe symptoms of the water-borne disease when he landed at the King Shaka International Airport just over a week ago.
The first two cases of imported cholera were recorded earlier in 2023 from individuals who had travelled to the neighbouring Malawi.
Since then, 199 cases of cholera have been recorded, with Gauteng being the epicentre. The disease has claimed more than 40 lives so far in 2023.
Phaahla urged the public to stay alert and maintain high levels of personal hygiene in order to prevent possible transmission of water-borne and food-borne diseases.
The Department of Health has since started contacting and tracing people who might have been in contact with the man.
“The outbreak response team has effected contact tracing and identified four family members and one friend he stayed with while in Pakistan,” said the department’s spokesperson Foster Mohale.
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