Hospitals in the Gauteng province in South Africa have been placed on high alert following the death of three people from a highly infectious disease that originated in Zambia.
On Sunday the Gauteng health department said three people had died in Johannesburg.
“We are on high alert following the confirmation of three cases of an unknown, highly infectious disease which has since led to three deaths,” the department said in a statement.
Medical advisor for public health Dr Chika Asomugha said the first patient was a South African expatriate living in Lusaka, who worked as a tourist guide for a safari company. She was evacuated by air ambulance to Morningside Clinic in Johannesburg on 12 September.
She had severe flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea and a rash. The unnamed woman was critically ill when she arrived and died shortly afterwards at the Morningside Medi-Clinic.
“Blood samples were taken and the results were not conclusive of any particular disease, including the viral hemorrhagic fevers,” the department said.
The second patient was a Zambian male paramedic who had accompanied the woman to South Africa. He was admitted on September 27 at the same facility with flu-like symptoms and treated for a variety of infections.
“His condition initially improved but later deteriorated on Wednesday, October 1 and he died the following day,” the statement said.
Investigations for viral hemorrhagic fever and other formidable infectious diseases were conducted and the results were negative.
A nurse at Morningside Medi-clinic who came into contact with the first patient became ill with flu-like symptoms and was subsequently admitted to the Sir Albert Robinson hospital on the West Rand on Wednesday.
“Her condition deteriorated on Saturday and she passed away yesterday (Sunday). Viral hemorrhagic fever and other formidable infectious diseases were negative,” said the statement.
“We have not yet got a complete diagnosis, but experts are running as many tests as possible,” he said.
