Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Ministry of Health has announced suspected cases of Listeriosis on 41 police officers from the eight districts of Lesotho (besides Thaba-Tseka and Quthing) who had travelled to South Africa between 23rd February and 2nd March 2018.
Listeriosis is a form of bacteria found in the environment and commonly occurs in soil, water, vegetation and in the faeces of some animals. It can contaminate a variety of food types, including meat and dairy products.
In a press statement issued by the ministry on Thursday, upon arrival of the police from SA, one of the officers was reported at Botha-Bothe government hospital on the 5th March 2018, with signs and symptoms of Listeriosis. The statement reports that verbal investigation revealed that they mostly ate ready-to-eat-food items that include polonies, viennas and russians.
“Upon contact tracing of the index case (Follow up with officer that was presented at Botha-Bothe hospital), further officers in the districts of Qacha’s Nek, Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng were tested and at least seven blood samples were taken,” the statement reads.
An additional sample was taken from a street vendor in Qachas’ Nek who also had signs and symptoms of Listeriosis and was found to have the same history of eating food incriminated with Listeriosis.
“Of the first four samples that were taken in Botha-Bothe, the blood and culture results were negative of Listeria,” the statement said. The ministry further urged the public to avoid the incriminated ready-to-eat and cold meats.
Also to practice five keys to safer food which include keeping them clean, separating raw and cooked food, cooking food thoroughly and keeping food at a safe temperature. However, the ministry appealed the public to report any business selling incriminated products.
The ministry said those at high-risk of the outbreak are newborns, especially in their first 28 days of life, as well as pregnant women and their unborn babies; the elderly especially those above the age of 65 and people with compromised immune systems like those with HIV, diabetes, cancer patients and those with chronic liver conditions or kidney disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against a trade ban on South African meat products as a result of the on-going Listeria outbreak. “WHO does not currently recommend any trade related measures in relation to the current outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa‚ other than the recall of products identified as sources of infection‚” the organisation said in a press statement on Wednesday.
Nearly 200 South Africans died since January last year as a result of ready-to-eat meat products that were widely consumed in the country and may have been exported to two West African countries and 14 members of the South African Development Community (SADC).
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