Six people have died of gastrointestinal infection in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. Following the diarrhoeal disease outbreak, Health Department has warned the public of the rising cases.
Seven more cases were confirmed in Vredefort and Parys in the Free State. While four were confirmed in Gauteng.
A few days ago, Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla called for vigilance and appealed to community members not to panic after South Africa recorded two positive cases of the diphtheria disease.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has alerted the Department of Health of two laboratory-confirmed cases of diphtheria that were detected in April.
Hammanskraal is a large rural community located in Gauteng province, South Africa, about 30 minutes from Pretoria. It serves as a shopping centre for the surrounding rural areas. Investigations have been launched by the province, while the department is urging the public to take extra precautionary measures and maintain proper hand-hygiene.