The health department of South Africa confirmed that two imported cholera cases had been detected in the country.
According to a statement published by the health department, these cases are sisters who returned to South Africa on 30 January from Malawi, which has been suffering a cholera outbreak since last year, and so far, has lost more than 1,000 to the disease.
The sisters developed cholera symptoms on their way to Johannesburg.
“A close contact of one of the patients was admitted to hospital on 4 February with diarrhea and dehydration, and is considered a possible case. Laboratory test results are pending and follow-up of close contacts is ongoing,” the health department said in the statement, calling for vigilance.
Cholera is not endemic to the Republic of South Africa. The country saw its last instance of the disease in 2008/9 when 12,000 cases were registered, caused by an outbreak in neighboring Zimbabwe.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection, and outbreaks usually occur in places with inadequate sanitation and no access to safe drinking water.