Rustenburg - The North West Department of Health has reported the first case of cholera at the Job Shimankana Hospital.
According to the provincial department, the patient, who is originally from Zimbabwe, came in the country on 4 January 2009 visiting her brother in Rustenburg, Seraleng near Boitekong.
The department said the patient came to the Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital as a transfer from a private practitioner as a suspected case of cholera on 5 January 2009.
The patient, who was suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, was admitted in the medical ward the same day.
"Medical tests were done and results were confirmed positive on 7 January 2009, the condition of the patient is stable and the hospital is taking every precaution in regards to infection control," the department said.
The department added that environmental assessments at Leraleng informal settlements were also underway warning that all informal settlements with inadequate sanitation, water provision and waste management are at high risk of secondary cholera epidemics.
The department further stressed the importance of taking additional measures such as washing hands with soap and water every time when coming back from the toilet, after changing babies' nappies and when preparing food.
The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has left more than 1500 people dead.
According to the United Nation's World Health Organisation (WHO) some 1 518 people have died of the disease and 26 497 cases have been recorded since August when the outbreak occurred.
The National Department of Health has heightened its awareness campaign around the spread of cholera as visitors and foreign nationals return back from their December holidays in neighbouring countries.
Department spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said on Tuesday that to further prevent the spread of cholera in South Africa, cholera treatment guidelines have been distributed to all the country's provinces to empower healthcare workers to deal with suspected and confirmed cholera cases as well as infection control.
"Environmental health officers have also been deployed in all high-risk areas to educate members of the public about cholera and how to avoid it. These high-risk areas are largely areas with poor sanitation and low toilet coverage, exposing residents to increased risks of exposure to cholera," Mr Hadebe said.
