Although it has not yet declared an outbreak, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases has confirmed 11 cases of rubella (German measles) on the Garden Route in the southern Cape, warning that this might herald a surge.
The infections appear to be concentrated around George, said the NICD’s Centre for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI).
The disease, which is usually mild in children and adults, can have serious consequences in pregnant women, infecting the foetus and leading to congenital rubella syndrome. Infants can be born with heart problems, eye problems, intellectual disabilities, low birth weight, developmental delays, learning disabilities and deafness.
Garden Route District Municipality spokesperson Herman Pieters told News24 that campaigns had been launched to create awareness of the disease and how it spreads.
The NICD said that before the pandemic, the country had recorded around 800 to 1 000 cases of rubella annually.
However, fewer than 50 cases had been recorded in the past three years, with non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the Covid-19 pandemic interrupting transmissions.
News24 article – Garden Route warned of possible German measles outbreak (Restricted access)
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