The City’s Health Department has noted with concern the recent outbreak of measles in South Africa. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and the North West have recorded cases. In Tshwane, a total of 14 laboratory-confirmed cases have been recorded since May 2022 to date. The latest confirmed case in Tshwane was reported on 30 December 2022. It affected a four-year-old boy from Hammanskraal.
The City urges parents and caregivers to take their children to their nearest clinic or community health centre for measles vaccination. In response to the increased number of confirmed cases in Gauteng, a provincial measles campaign is underway and currently targeting children aged 6 months to 15 years.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus which mainly spreads through infectious airborne respiratory droplets from infected persons who are coughing or sneezing. Children, specifically those under one year of age, may develop complicated measles that could include pneumonia, eye complications and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
The virus can also remain active on surfaces or in the air for up to two hours. Measles is a human disease and does not affect animals. The initial symptoms of measles are similar to that of the common flu or COVID-19 infection. These usually include a fever, runny nose, red eyes and cough. However, later a skin rash develops in the form of tiny red spots. These spots usually start to appear in the face and then spread to the rest of the body.
At this stage of reporting, there is no indication of a cluster outbreak of measles in Tshwane. However, this situation could change as cross-provincial travel is expected to increase prior to the reopening of schools. The MMC for Health, Cllr Rina Marx, would like to assure Tshwane residents that the situation is being closely monitored and our outbreak response teams stand ready to manage the situation and mitigate the spread as far as possible.