7 October 2008
A MYSTERIOUS disease with symptoms of flu, bleeding and vomiting suspected to have originated from Zambia has claimed four lives in South Africa.
The Government has, however, assured the nation that there has not been any reported case of the killer disease anywhere in the country and called for calm.
Health Minister Brian Chituwo said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the ministry was in total control and all travel should continue normally.
Dr Chituwo said the first person to suffer from the unknown disease was a female South African who was resident in Zambia and fell ill on September 4.
She was evacuated to Morningside Clinic where she later died on September 13, this year.
"The second victim was a paramedic who escorted the patient to South Africa. The third victim was a nurse based at Morningside that attended to the first patient," Dr Chituwo said.
He said the third victim was a nurse based at the clinic who had attended to the first patient. Reports indicate that the driver of the ambulance that ferried the patient from Lanseria Airport to Morningside was also in a critical condition.
He said all the patients developed fever, cough and bled from various parts of their bodies.
Dr Chituwo said laboratory investigations so far done did not point to any particular known disease.
Dr Chituwo said the mysterious disease had so far claimed three lives in South Africa but The Star online news of the same country reported yesterday that another person, a cleaner, died yesterday morning.
The Star reported that the cleaner who worked at the same health institution died in the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
It quotes Gauteng Health spokesperson Zanele Mngadi as having said that the woman was initially admitted to Leratong Hospital but was later transferred to the specialised Charlotte Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
Dr Chituwo said the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) was still carrying out all the necessary investigations.
Dr Chituwo urged members of the public to report any suspicious case presenting with fever, cough and bleeding from any part of the body to the nearest health facility.
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