Three laboratory-confirmed measles cases were detected in Rustenburg sub-district, Bojanala Platinum district in North West province within a period of four weeks, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said in a statement.
The occurrence of these cases fulfils the criteria for a measles outbreak, and the North West Provincial Department of Health has triggered response activities, with support from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
IoL reports cases of suspected measles were reported at Luka, Seraleng and Ikemeleng.
"All the cases have been confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) through (a) blood test. Twenty-two other specimens from suspects are also being tested. The outbreak was declared last week," said Job Shimankane Tabane Hospital spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane.
Nine teams of health officials have been dispatched to execute massive outreach campaigns aimed at immunising children under the age of 15 years as a way to curb the situation.
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