Mum kept as diphtheria spreads

THE provincial health department kept a mum when her 10-year-old girl from Nomzamo in Strand tested positive for diphtheria, a contagious and potentially life-threatening bacterial disease, 12 days ago.

Sadly, the little girl died on August 4 due to the severity of the disease, Zimkhitha Maquteni, spokesperson for Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo, confirmed.

Since the diagnosis and the death of the little girl the department has initiated contact tracing and has followed up with her immediate family contacts.

Three of the family contacts (two siblings and the mother) presented with symptoms and have since also been confirmed as diphtheria cases.

Maquteni said throat swabs have been collected from her family contacts with medication and vaccine provided.

“Contact tracing and the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis will continue as more contacts are being identified and more than 600 individuals have been vaccinated in this specific community,” Maquteni said.

As a proactive measure in containing the spread of the disease, Maquteni said the department will embark on a vaccination campaign among children under 15 in the Asanda Village area as a first step and then Nomzamo as a second phase.

“Parents must ensure kids’ immunisation statuses are up to date and if unsure they should visit their nearest clinic and take the child’s Road to Health booklet with them,” she said.

Asked if the department was aware of the outbreak all along, Mbombo said: “I knew about the diphtheria outbreak weeks ago.”

Asked why the department kept quiet on the outbreak, Maquteni said: “We did not send out a statement.”

Diphtheria is contagious and potentially life-threatening, caused by a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

The actual disease is caused when the bacteria release a toxin, or poison, into a person’s body that can harm or destroy human body tissues and organs.

Diphtheria bacteria live in the mouth, throat, and nose of an infected person and can be passed to others by coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms include fever, mild to severe sore throat, chills, listlessness, nausea, vomiting, pallor, fast heart rate and low blood pressure.

Parents must ensure kids’ immunisation statuses are up to date