SA detects 40 cases of diphtheria between Jan 2024 and Jan 2025
The serious bacterial infection affects the respiratory system but can also damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system.
Picture: 123rf.com/Iurii Golub
CAPE TOWN - It has emerged that the deadly diphtheria disease has been detected in 40 people nationally between January 2024 and January 2025
The serious bacterial infection affects the respiratory system but can also damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system.
While it is currently contained in the country with vaccines, available experts have warned that one case is one case too many, highlighting it has a high mortality rate.
Epidemiologist from the Centre for Respiratory Diseases Dr Jocelyn Moyes explains how the diphtheria is transmitted.
“It’s transmitted very similar to most upper airways' infections through respiratory droplets, so you know were all very familiar with how COVID-19 spreads so it's very similar to that. So, you have to come close contact with somebody, and you know there's an exchange of what you breath out into someone else.”