Cholera confirmed in South African who travelled to Pakistan
The National Health Department says they have picked up a case of cholera in a man who travelled from Pakistan to Durban.
They say the 24-year-old South African man landed at the King Shaka International Airport just over a week ago after travelling to Karachi.
The Department of Health’s Foster Mohale said the man had already been experiencing abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea after eating a meal two days earlier.
The man reported that he had symptoms but did not immediately seek medical attention while in Pakistan.
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"On his arrival through King Shaka International Airport, he felt dehydrated and was taken to a Private Hospital in Durban to seek medical help. He was then admitted on the 18th of July, while his specimen was sent to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) for laboratory testing,” said Mohale.
"The results came back positive with cholera toxin on Monday, 24 July 2023. He has been discharged and recovering well at home."
Mohale said the NICD’s outbreak response team has identified four family members and a friend who lived with the man in Pakistan.
"None of the contacts identified are presenting with cholera symptoms and are on continuous close monitoring.
"On the other hand, water samples were collected from the patient`s place of residence and taken for laboratory testing at the National Health Laboratory Service.
"This case increases the total number of imported cholera cases recorded this year to three, following two cases detected from two people who travelled from Malawi."
