Typhoid breaks out in Tshwane

CASES: INCREASE AS SOME SAMPLES TEST POSITIVE

- Marizka Coetzer

The dust from the City of Tshwane's pricey water tanker allegations hasn't even settled yet and another water crisis hits the city: typhoid.

The city was aware of recent reports of an increase in laboratory-confirmed typhoid cases, specifically in Bronkhorstspruit and Hammanskraal, spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said.

"Preliminary results of recent drinking water samples taken and tested have not determined an epidemiological link between these cases. Furthermore, the results have not yet determined the source of the contamination," he said.

The city takes these reports seriously and will intensify its investigations, working closely with the departments of health, water and sanitation and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to ascertain the root cause of the increase, Mashigo said.

"Routine water quality tests of drinking water continue to be conducted across the city's network and no detection of salmonella typhi has been recorded to date.