Rise in measles cases in South Africa, four confirmed cases in Northern Cape

THE NATIONAL Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reports that as of January 16, South Africa has 139 laboratory-confirmed measles cases, with the majority coming from the Western Cape (84 cases).

Other provinces affected include Gauteng (14 cases), Mpumalanga (20), Limpopo (7), Free State (6), Northern Cape (4), North West (3), and Eastern Cape (1).

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterised by fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis (red eyes), and coryza (running nose). The rash appears as small, red, flat spots on the body, without blisters, itching, or pain.

 Complications can be severe, including diarrhoea, dehydration, brain infection (encephalitis), blindness, and death, especially in young infants and malnourished children ¹.

How is measles spread?

Measles is transmitted through:

• Inhalation of airborne micro-droplet respiratory secretions from infectious patients
• Direct contact with large-droplet respiratory secretions from infectious patients
• Indirect contact with contaminated articles

Treatment and prevention

There's no specific treatment for measles, so the focus is on symptom relief and preventing complications. 

Vitamin A supplements are given to children to prevent eye damage. 

Measles is preventable through vaccination, with the vaccine administered at six months and 12 months of age in South Africa's Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) schedule.

Stay informed and protected

The NICD is a national public health institute providing reference microbiology, virology, epidemiology, surveillance, and public health research to support the government's response to communicable disease threats.

For more information, visit the NICD website (www.nicd.ac.za) or contact their hotline at 082-883-9920.