Listeria outbreak kills 36 people in South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

At least 36 people have died in South Africa after an outbreak of a food borne disease, Listeriosis, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced Tuesday.

He said the majority of cases have been reported in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

Motsoaledi said the source of the outbreak is currently being investigated.

“Environmental health officers are following up diagnosed cases and are visiting their homes to sample food where available,” he added.

He told reporters that a total of 557 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases had been reported from all provinces since the beginning of the year.

According to the centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

Motsoaledi says although the disease was serious, it could still be treated with antibiotics and prevented by observing personal hygiene such as washing hands before and after preparing food.