Nearly a month after Aaron Motsoaledi, the South African Minister of Health, formally announced to the country that we were in the throes of a listeriosis outbreak, we have finally has a further announcement from the department of health.
Today (30/12/2017) at the Sammy Marx Building, Tshwane Municipal Offices, Gauteng Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa addressed the media on their results of their investigation.
According to the media invitation, the MEC had intended to visit the abattoir with a team of health professionals. The media were invited to briefing at the facility. Shortly before the time arranged the media briefing was moved to the municipal offices as the abattoir was closed.
The MEC has informed the province that samples of food from a shop in Pretoria tested positive for listeria. The samples were allegedly traced back to the abattoir in question.
The MEC has requested co-operation in investigating further samples and has indicated that chicken is the primary target of the investigation.
The press release does not confirm precisely that the listeria isolated from the samples is the same as that of the patient nor that this is the same as the rest of the outbreak isolates. The name of the business was also withheld from the official press release.
The prohibition notice issued to the abattoir in question indicates the seriousness of the situation. It’s time the DOH fulfilled their mandate.
It seems there are still many unanswered questions.
So, with only a day left of 2017 it seems likely
that this outbreak will follow us into the new year.
NOTE: Bear in mind that this latest development does not categorically indicate that this is the source of the devastating outbreak, since the isolates identified during this investigation are still awaiting sero- typing. With the count sitting on 387 cases in Gauteng, once again there is urgent need for the food industry to continue to co-operate with the investigation to avoid any further loss of life.
Contact the NICD:
NMC helpline: 072 621 3805
Email: NMCsurveillanceReport@nicd.ac.za
Fax: 086 639 1638
Website: www.nicd.ac.za
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