South Africa: 111 students ill in Makhanda
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
In South Africa, 111 students at Rhodes University in Makhanda have been affected by gastrointestinal illness, and similar cases have been reported in the local community. A provincial health response has been mobilised as authorities investigate the cause, according to university spokesperson Olwetu Gwanya.
At least 111 students at Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa, have been affected by gastrointestinal illness, the university’s spokesperson, Olwetu Gwanya, told the Daily Maverick. A provincial health response has been mobilised while authorities investigate the origin and extent of the cases.
Similar cases have been reported in communities in Makhanda beyond the campus. Students said the first cases appeared on 16 October, according to the Daily Maverick. The university is working with local health authorities and environmental health specialists to determine the possible cause.
As a precaution, the university is distributing bottled water and advising people to drink boiled and cooled or bottled water, avoid raw foods washed with untreated water, and wash their hands regularly. Students with severe symptoms were hospitalised and later returned to campus, Gwanya said.
The alert comes amid concerns about water in South Africa. In October, 408 cases of illness were reported in Bronkhorstspruit in an incident linked to contaminated water. 408 cases linked to contaminated water in Bronkhorstspruit
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
