Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
20 May 2023 | 18:43 CAT

Image: EURACTIV

The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, calls for vigilance and the public not to panic as the country records two positive cases of Diphtheria disease. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a National Health Laboratory Service Division, alerted the department of two laboratory-confirmed Diphtheria cases detected in April 2023.

Diphtheria infectious bacterial disease of the throat, is rare but potentially severe, causing respiratory symptoms and complications if left untreated. The infection is caused by a toxin-producing bacterium (Corynebacterium diphtheria), which may lead to difficulty breathing, heart rhythm issues and even death.

The symptoms of Diphtheria include sore throat and swollen glands in the front of the neck.

Professor Cheryl Cohen, head of the Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, spoke to Radio Islam International. She said vaccination remains a vital strategy in preventing Diphtheria.

Meanwhile, the two cases positively identified as Diphtheria occurred were one in an adult in KwaZulu-Natal and the second in the Western Cape in a child, both succumbing to the disease.

According to Prof Cohen, the bacteria that causes the infection spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. She highlighted a rarer form of Diphtheria, a skin infection that can cause skin ulcers, which can spread through contact with the wound.

Diphtheria vaccination is part of the childhood vaccine programme in South Africa, and parents are encouraged to have their children vaccinated.

Listen to the full interview with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie on Your World Today.