Cases of rubella spike countrywide while diphtheria hits Western Cape
The department stated that more than 90% of the cases occurred in children under 15, with only one patient over the age of 50. It added that if children are not vaccinated against rubella, and never come into contact with the virus through natural infection, children will remain susceptible to it.
Western Cape diphtheria cases
Byron la Hoe, spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, told Daily Maverick that between 25 November and 18 December, five laboratory-confirmed cases of diphtheria were identified in areas of the Cape Metro District, including Philippi, Lotus River, Athlone and a local correctional facility. All patients are between the ages of 28 and 34. There has been one death as a result of the disease.
Source: Daily Maverick
Daily Maverick is a unique blend of news, information, analysis and opinion delivered from our newsrooms in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. There are many ways to describe exactly what we do (and for the price of a cup of coffee we’re capable of talking your ears off about it), but the best way to understand the end result is to experience it. Every part of Daily Maverick is free-to-air and no payment is required, although free registration is required for a small subset of functions and pages.
Daily Maverick is run by an independently owned, private company with no affiliation to any other media group (or political party or religious organisation.) Follow Daily Maverick on Twitter at @dailymaverick.
Go to: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
