Durban - Led by the Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla, the Department of Health has told South Africans not to panic after two confirmed cases of diphtheria had been reported.
One case was recorded in an adult in KwaZulu-Natal and another in the Western Cape in a child.
Diphtheria is caused by a toxin-producing bacterium called corynebacterium diphtheria, which can lead to difficult breathing, heart rhythm problems and even fatality. Sneezing and coughing are two avenues where this condition can spread from person to person. The condition is said to be uncommon, and can be prevented through vaccination.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Sore throat with the formation of a membrane on the throat and tonsil.
- Swollen glands formed in the front of the neck.
- Fatigue.
- Fever and chills.
To prevent it or curb the spread of it, the Health Department advises parents to ensure their children are routinely vaccinated.
It said: “Routine diphtheria vaccination is part of the childhood vaccine programme. The vaccine should be given to all children as part of the routine vaccines in the first year of life. Booster doses at the age of six and 12 should be given.”
They also said that if there is a missed dosage, the child should catch up on those if possible.
The department states the diphtheria antitoxin is in short supply globally and that the World Health Organization is working on a plan to fix this.
Clinics nationwide are encouraged to identify symptoms quickly and send those cases to laboratories for prompt screening. These laboratories in turn should screen all swabs for diphtheria and send those to the Centre of Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
The Independent on Saturday