The spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Sizwe Kupelo, said outbreak response teams have been sent to the Sara Baartman District where four cases were recorded, the Alfred Nzo District, on the north-eastern side of the province bordering Lesotho, and Nelson Mandela Bay where one case each were reported. It is understood that most of the cases were found around Aberdeen.

Kupelo said they were worried as this time of the year carries an increased risk factor because many people travel over December and January and can spread the virus.

“We are hoping to prevent further spread before migration becomes a problem,” he said.

“As of  Friday, all three districts have activated their outbreak response teams and have started door-to-door visits in communities to search for people who were in contact with the patients and for more suspected measles cases.”

He said families and others who were in close contact with measles patients are being vaccinated and officials are educating communities about the disease.

“Today, the teams are out there in the communities,” Kupelo said.

This follows seven confirmed measles cases that have been detected since August 2019 in the Bojanala Platinum District of North West province. Many platinum miners are expected to return to the Eastern Cape for the festive season.

According to a statement by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a district-wide vaccination campaign was carried out in North West province.

Measles is an infectious viral disease spread through respiratory droplets emitted when a patient coughs or sneezes. It is usually seen in children, but persons of all ages who have not received the measles vaccine can be infected. Complications of measles include severe pneumonia and blindness and have in some cases been fatal.

According to the latest District Health Barometer, published earlier this year with statistics from 2018, the immunisation rate for the second-dose measles vaccine is 51% in the Sarah Baartman District where Adelaide is situated, for the Joe Gqabi district the rate is 47%, and 52% for Nelson Mandela Bay. MC