Health Dept detects 5 cholera cases in Limpopo: ‘SA doesn’t have an outbreak’ - Phaahla

JOHANNESBURG - Five cholera cases have been confirmed in Limpopo with the National Health Department monitoring 46 other suspected cases in the province.

Minister Joe Phaahla revealed this at a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, where he also addressed the issue of unemployed medical doctors.

Phaahla said three of the cases were imported from Zimbabwe, while the other two patients have no travel history.

Neighbouring countries including Zimbabwe are currently battling an outbreak of the bacterial infection.

The minister assured residents that there was no outbreak in the country.

"We are working with the province to identify and trace contacts in the families and also with the environmental health practitioners so we can find the source. We don't really have an outbreak in South Africa, we have those two isolated cases and imported cases."

Phaahla said he is working with other health ministers in the Southern African Development Community region to ensure that Zimbabwe has access to cholera vaccines.

"Cholera vaccine according to WHO [World Health Organization] systems, you only use when you have a serious outbreak. So, Zimbabwe having that, they are eligible for the vaccine."