NICD confirms JHB Zika virus case
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Saturday confirmed that a Columbian businessman in Johannesburg had Zika virus infection.
On Friday night, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said a Columbian businessman visiting Johannesburg had been diagnosed with the Zika virus infection by a private Johannesburg pathology laboratory, and a confirmatory test was being carried out by the NICD.
The businessman presented with fever and a rash about four days after arrival in South Africa but was now fully recovered. The infection was acquired in Columbia prior to his visit to Johannesburg for business. Columbia was currently experiencing a large outbreak of the Zika virus.
“The NICD can confirm that indeed the test confirmed the diagnosis of the Zika virus infection in the Columbian businessman visiting Johannesburg. The man experienced mild illness and has made a full recovery,” NICD deputy director Professor Lucille Blumberg said.
Given the frequency of travel between South Africa and a number of countries currently experiencing outbreaks of the Zika virus, it was likely that other sporadic imported cases would be seen in South Africa in travellers, as had been the experience in a number of countries, Motsoaledi said.