A national outbreak of Listeriosis in South Africa has risen to 767 cases, which has also affected nine patients in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes. People usually become ill with listeriosis after eating contaminated food.
These are the precautionary measures to be taken:
- Keep clean. Wash your hands before handling food and often during food preparation.
- If you are handling or storing raw food, don’t touch already cooked food unless you have thoroughly washed your hands and food preparation utensils (separate raw from cooked food).
- Never eat half-cooked food or uncooked food especially meat products.
- Boil water before domestic use.
- Keep food at safe temperatures.
- Use pasteurised milk products. In situations where pasteurization is not possible, boil the milk prior to use.
- Should you or anyone near you start experiencing flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea, fever, septicaemia or severe headaches contact your doctor.
Provincial Health spokesman Sizwe Khuphelo has confirmed that no cases have been reported in the Chris Hani District Municipality area to date.
