South African Measles Outbreak Update 2023 ( 23 FEBRUARY )
The NICD has tested 4019 serum samples for measles since epidemiological week 40, 2022, of which 615 (15.3%) were confirmed positive
News
Measles Outbreak Alert Western Cape province, City of Cape Town (20 February 2023)
The National Institute for Communicable Disease alerts the National Department of Health and the Western Cape province about the increase in laboratory-confirmed measles cases. Four laboratory-confirmed measles have been reported in the City of Cape Town from 24 January 2023 to 17 February 2023. Even though all the lab-confirmed measles were investigated, no epidemiological link …
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An increase in pertussis cases (13 Dec 2022)
An increase in pertussis cases has been reported in South Africa among children younger than five years of age, particularly among infants younger than three months of age. The current increases have mostly been reported in the Western Cape Province. Pertussis, commonly known as ‘whooping cough’, is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by Bordetella pertussis and …
South African Field Epidemiology Training Programme collaborates with the Eastern Cape Department of Health to launch the FETP-Intermediate Program in South Africa
The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s monitoring and evaluation framework for implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR-2005) recommends that every member state should attain a target of at least one field-trained epidemiologist per 200 000 population, as one of the crucial workforce development indicators to ensure optimal public health security. Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) have been …
A new research group to fight deadly AIDS-related fungal Diseases
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases partners in a new NIHR-funded Global Health Research Group on HIV-associated Fungal Infections Serious fungal infections are a global threat to human health. Many of these severe infections occur in people living with HIV. Four HIV-associated fungal infections – cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and talaromycosis – are …
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World Antimicrobial Awareness Week under the spotlight
The National Institute for Communicable (NICD), commemorates World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) between 18-25 November. Led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the theme of WAAW 2022 is “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”, a call to raise awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a condition that is cross-sectoral and poses serious public health concerns. The overall slogan …
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Malaria in Africa: why most countries haven’t beaten it yet
Malaria remains one of the most devastating parasitic diseases affecting humans. In 2020 there were around 241 million cases and 672,000 malaria-related deaths. This is a sharp increase from 2019. One reason it’s so persistent is that the malaria parasite has a very complex life cycle. It involves many different developmental stages and multiple hosts …
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Increase in Pertussis cases in South Africa (21 Sept 2022)
Very few pertussis cases were reported through the notifiable medical conditions (NMC) surveillance system in 2020 (n=169) and 2021 (n=27) in South Africa, likely as a result of decreased transmission related to non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. From the beginning of 2022 to 15 September, 147 pertussis cases were notified, with a …
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Mosquitoes: there’s malaria, plus 5 other diseases they pass on to humans
Most people instantly associate mosquitoes with malaria. But these tiny flying insects can transmit a number of other diseases too. Viruses transmitted by insects like mosquitoes are called arthropod-borne or arboviruses. Like malaria, these viruses are transmitted to vertebrate hosts through the bite of a female mosquito when she takes a blood meal to assist …
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Mosquito species from Asia poses growing risk to Africa’s anti-malaria efforts
The spread of the mosquito species Anopheles stephensi across Africa poses a significant problem to a continent already heavily burdened by malaria. Most – 90% – of the world’s malaria deaths are on the continent. Researchers from Djibouti reported the presence of An. stephensi in the Horn of Africa in 2012. Until then it had …
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