Friday, 29 March, 2024
HomeWeekly RoundupSA makes Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children a notifiable medical condition

SA makes Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children a notifiable medical condition

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) – associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – has been included in the notifiable medical conditions (NMC) in South Africa, says an IoL report.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said these are diseases that are of public health importance because they pose significant public health risks that may result in disease outbreaks or epidemics both nationally and internationally.

IoL reports that although MIS-C is a rare syndrome, there are reports of MIS-C associated with COVID-19 globally and more recently in South Africa.

According to the NICD, it is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. The symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes and feeling extra tired.

“We do not yet know what causes MIS-C. However, we know that many children with MIS-C had the virus that causes COVID-19 or had been around someone with COVID-19,” the NICD said.

“MIS-C can be serious, even deadly, but most children who were diagnosed with this condition have gotten better with medical care. With the ongoing pandemic, we expect to see more MIS-C cases over the next few months throughout the country. Widespread awareness and early recognition is crucial. The healthcare worker responsible for the patient should notify authorities immediately of a probable or confirmed case through the through the Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System (NMCSS).”

[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/warning-multisystem-inflammatory-syndrome-in-children-now-a-notifiable-condition-in-sa-9edf1d0f-9007-4131-b156-ed0423fb576a"]Full IoL report[/link]

MedicalBrief — our free weekly e-newsletter

We'd appreciate as much information as possible, however only an email address is required.