Rustenburg-There are no confirmed typhoid cases in the JB Marks municipality in the North West, Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said on Monday.
He called on communities to remain calm following social media chain messages claiming there were typhoid cases in the municipality.
Sambatha confirmed that the Matlosana Sub-District had reported a total of 21 laboratory confirmed cases of typhoid fever which were detected from the period November 2020 to February 2022.
"The latest is that only four cases were reported in the current year (January 2022 - February 2022). These were two adults aged between 15-49 and two children aged below 14 years old. All the recent cases are from the Khuma area in Matlosana. There are currently no hospital admissions," he said.
He said out of the 21 cases, 16 were caused by the same strain, which indicated a particular source point. The strain had been in circulation in the Matlosana sub-district since November 2020.
"There were patients who were confirmed to be illegal miners and other cases linked with household contacts who work as miners. There was a travel history in some of these cases (four cases of 2022) outside the country and investigations are continuing."
The MEC said the link between the typhoid cases and illegal miners, known as zama zama, was concerning.
He said the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality had tested water around the area and in the affected households of the cases.
"There was no evidence that drinking water is contaminated with typhoid. Furthermore, the municipality continues to do water quality monitoring on a monthly basis in (the) Matlosana sub-district."
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), has confirmed there were typhoid cases in the Western Cape, North West and Gauteng.
According to the NICD, there was no evidence that the outbreak was linked to contaminated water.
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