The City of Tshwane is on edge as typhoid fever cases rise in Hammanskraal and Bronkhorstspruit with the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD) investigating the source of the outbreak.

Authorities have flagged the surge as a concern, but they breathed a sigh of relief because the outbreak has not yet been linked to the municipal water supply. 

The metro, the DA, and health authorities are urging vigilance, extra hygiene, and quick medical help.

This comes after the NICD confirmed an ongoing investigation into the typhoid fever outbreak after several cases were reported in recent weeks.

In Bronkhorstspruit, 13 patients were treated at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital and one at a Netcare facility, while Jubilee Hospital in Hammanskraal recorded several other typhoid cases.

In a broadcast interview, NICD senior pathologist Dr Keeren Lutchminarain said the Hammanskraal area saw a sudden increase of typhoid cases last week, indicating a possible “common source”. 

Most of the recent patients reported from Jubilee Hospital are under the age of 15, with the youngest being an eight‑month‑old. 

Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale told the SABC that the situation is “under control” and that the NICD’s surveillance team is on the ground, tracing the typhoid source so they can educate the public quickly.

“Typhoid is one of those waterborne diseases just like cholera caused by contaminated water. Obviously this is linked to the issue of sanitation and a lack of hygiene,” he said.

Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city takes the reports seriously and will intensify its investigations, working closely with the Department of Health, the Department of Water and Sanitation and NICD to ascertain the root cause of the increase in the cases.

“Preliminary results of recent drinking water samples taken and tested have not determined an epidemiological link between these cases. Furthermore, the results have not yet determined the source of the contamination,” he said.

He said routine water quality tests of drinking water continue to be conducted across the city’s network, and no detection of Salmonella Typhi has been recorded to date.

Typhoid symptoms may include a fever that is on and off during the first week but becomes sustained, headache, abdominal pain or cramps, nausea and vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea. Flu-like symptoms may also occur.

The city has issued safety tips, which include storing water in a clean container with a small opening or cover and to use it stored within four hours. 

People were also urged to wash their hands using soap and water and wash their dishes and utensils.

Mashigo said: “The city maintains stringent monitoring and testing protocols to ensure that all treated water supplied to residents complies with the South African National Standard (SANS 241) for drinking water.”

He appealed to communities to refrain from using untreated river or borehole water for domestic purposes, as a precautionary measure. 

“Only piped municipal water that has been properly treated and tested should be used for drinking and cooking,” he said.

DA mayoral candidate in Tshwane Cilliers Brink said although water is not the only source of typhoid, it is certainly at the top of the list of causes that have to be eliminated. 

“We therefore call on the City to act quickly to contain the situation. This must include the release of routine tests taken by the Tshwane department of water and sanitation on the Rooiwal/Apies River/Leeuwkraal water system. These tests act as an early warning system,” he said.

He said the city must also give the assurance that water tankers that supply the Hammanskraal area have maintained hygiene and supply controls implemented during the outbreak of cholera in 2023.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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