Health authorities investigate malaria outbreak in Free State’s Luckhoff area
The Free State Department of Health says it is closely monitoring malaria cases in the Luckhoff area, near Koffiefontein, after one person died and two others were hospitalised in what officials describe as a “rare outbreak” in a non-endemic area.
Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi confirmed that no new cases have been detected beyond the three members of one family initially affected.
A 23-year-old male has since been discharged from Mediclinic Bloemfontein and travelled home to Potchefstroom, while a 50-year-old woman — whose husband, aged 53, succumbed to the disease — remains in a stable condition in a general ward.
"The source of infection in this non-endemic area remains unknown. Provincial and national experts are investigating to determine the source and provide a plausible scientific explanation," Mvambi said.
A multidisciplinary outbreak response team has been deployed to the area, conducting community education, active screening, and mosquito control measures to ensure no additional cases go undetected.
In a further step to trace the origin of the infection, a team of entomologists from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) will visit the Xhariep District from Tuesday to Friday to collect mosquito samples for testing.
The goal is to establish whether Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit malaria, are present in the area.
Preliminary genotyping results suggest that the three family members may have been bitten by the same mosquito, though the precise transmission pathway is still being investigated.
Mvambi urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, especially those who may have travelled to malaria-prone regions such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, or parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
"If you develop fever, chills, headache, body aches or flu-like symptoms after visiting a malaria area, seek medical care immediately."
The department also urged residents to protect themselves by using mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves in the evenings, and removing standing water near homes.
ALSO READ
