The Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development has noted with concern media reports that claim that there have been deaths related to Meningitis in the province.
The department would like to state that these alarming reports are not accurate. The province does not have an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis.
Meningococcal Meningitis is a communicable disease and it is transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions as well as close or prolonged contact such as kissing, sneezing, and coughing on someone. There is no evidence that someone has contracted Meningitis as a result of poor infection control at a hospital as alleged in the reports.
The hospitals referred to in the reports, Far East Rand, Tambo Memorial and Mamelodi have no record of persons diagnosed with Meningitis in the past week.
A positive diagnosis of Meningococcal Meningitis can only be confirmed by a laboratory test done by National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). The NICD reports these cases to the department and necessary steps are taken if there is a sign of an outbreak. So far, NICD has not reported an outbreak of Meningitis in the province.
The department would like to reiterate that there is no outbreak of Meningococcal Meningitis in the province therefore citizens should not be alarmed.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
