South Africa's response to hantavirus outbreak lauded
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Health applaud the Department of Health and NICD’s quick action in managing the hantavirus situation.
Image: National Institute for Communica
The swift and effective response by the Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in identifying and managing the unusual hantavirus outbreak has drawn praise from the Portfolio Committee on Health members, who commended the team’s vigilance and quick action in diagnosing a rare pathogen in an unusual setting.
The Health Department and NICD briefed the committee on the hantavirus outbreak investigation findings, containment measures, and lessons learned to strengthen South Africa’s health security systems.
Former NICD deputy director and senior consultant Professor Lucille Blumberg said what they achieved is a team effort.
“Within 24 hours of the notification coming or the alert being raised by a colleague of mine in the UK (on Friday), that there was a concern about an outbreak on a ship, we had confirmed hantavirus,” Blumberg said, adding that he alerted her to patient three, who was admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg with pneumonia.
“I believe that is a remarkable effort to diagnose such an unusual pathogen in a unique setting within a short timeframe.”
Blumberg said they were unaware of the person who collapsed at the airport.
She was travelling and did not report illness before she left; therefore, there was nothing to alert that she may be ill.
She collapsed at the airport, was taken to a nearby hospital, and died.
She said they confirmed the diagnosis in South Africa, and they had the specimens of the patient who was admitted.
Diagnosis was confirmed using a routine blood count specimen from patient two, retrieved on Sunday morning before it was discarded.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was positive.
Blumberg said contact tracing began on Saturday for all contacts of cases two and three at OR Tambo International Airport, the hospital near the airport, and those involved in transporting or admitting case three.
Contact monitoring for fever was initiated before the illness was identified and is progressing well.
Due to the long six-week incubation period, monitoring will continue, with plans to re-identify high-risk contacts for intensified observation.
“I think as a country, we’ve done extremely well, and I want to pay tribute to the NICD team, some of whom are the new director, and particularly our laboratory,” Blumberg said.
She said they had several consultations with South American counterparts, who have a lot of experience with hantavirus.
Committee member Dr Karl Willem du Pré le Roux called the response “extremely impressive”, saying that to find the virus was like a needle in a haystack.
“I do want to just really commend the team and Prof Blumberg for actually finding this virus… I just want to recognise that and say thank you to the team for the vigilance and the quick action,” Le Roux said.
Philippus Adriaan van Staden thanked the health sector for the effective tracing and response.
Committee chairperson Faith Muthambi said the response was heartwarming and the team had to be commended, as it helped prevent panic.