Typhoid fever is a contagious illness that can be transferred to others in a myriad of ways. The outbreak dates back to 2020 and is under investigation according to the NICD.
While the number of cases has remained relatively low over the years, the illness is said to be escalating in Western Cape and in North West. Since the illness only ranges from 100 to 150 a year, not much focus on the virus has been set.
Typhoid fever numbers are rising
According to Times Live, the virus can be spread in a myriad of ways. This includes food distribution and infected water. Each of these cases is distributed at a large scale and can lead to an outbreak very quickly.
As the virus has been spreading since 2020, the investigation will consider the genetic makeup thereof. This will help track any changes in the virus. The NICD has since released a code red on the Typhoid fever cases.
The outbreak can become worse if the trace isn’t figured out soon
It can be very contagious as this can be spread through feces as well. The NICD has also warned that the health care system might lack knowledge of the spread of Typhoid fever as a range of symptoms such as headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and weakness.
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Currently, Gauteng carries the most amounts of infection with the disease. They have recorded 45 cases of the disease thus far. Reports also suggest that finding the cause of the outbreak can be hard during the middle of the latter as there can be a range of reasons for it.
The Western Cape is currently facing infections in Cape Town Metro health district, Garden Route, and the Cape Winelands. As relayed by Times Live, before the antibiotic era, the Typhoid fever disease saw a percentage of 15 – 20% fatality rate.
