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The Department of Health has advised the public of the rising number of laboratory-confirmed rubella cases nationwide.
Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said that according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), 10137 positive rubella cases were identified in the country between January and November 2024, which is higher than the number of cases recorded last year.
“Rubella is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease,” Mohale stressed.
He said most cases were recorded in Gauteng and the Western Cape provinces, with more than 90% of the total cases detected in children under 15 years of age and accounting for over 8300 cases.
Mohale said there is only one patient over the age of 50 years.
“Although rubella in children is a mild, self-limiting illness and complications are rare, the risk of transmission remains high amongst children, especially because many children entered the year 2024 without prior exposure to rubella or without being vaccinated against rubella.
“If children are not vaccinated against rubella and never come into contact with the rubella virus through natural infection, they will remain susceptible to rubella.
“The disease spreads from person to person through droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person. Children and pregnant women are at a higher risk of severe health complications of rubella,” Mohale said.
The Department has advised parents and caregivers to keep a close eye on the health condition of their children and look out for common symptoms, which include rash, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, runny nose, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and nausea. Symptoms develop 2 to 3 weeks after exposure.
“Rubella infection poses a risk of congenital rubella syndrome amongst pregnant mothers if they are infected in the first trimester of pregnancy. It can lead to birth defects in their unborn child,” Mohale cautioned.
He said public healthcare facilities will remain accessible throughout the festive season.
“There is no need for the public to panic, but members of the public are urged to present themselves or their loved ones with suspected rubella symptoms without delays for early detection, effective treatment, and to prevent further transmission,” Mohale said.
