First #Listeriosis case in Namibia after SA outbreak
Windhoek - Namibia on Tuesday reported its first case of listeriosis since an outbreak in neighbouring South Africa erupted at the beginning of last year, killing 183 people so far.
A 41-year-old Namibian man was diagnosed with the disease on Monday and is being treated in a hospital in the capital Windhoek, Health Minister Bernard Haufiku said in a statement.
Namibia has banned South African imports of processed meat products, and Haufiku warned Namibians not to eat any items still for sale in the country.
"This is the first case of listeriosis reported in Namibia since the outbreak in neighbouring South Africa," Haufiku said.
"Our surveillance and monitoring systems are in full force."
The victim, whose medical condition was described as stable, bought so-called Vienna sausages in his hometown of Tsumeb, in the north of Namibia.
Since January 2017, more than 900 people in South Africa have contracted listeriosis, which is caused by bacteria which can contaminate fresh food, notably meat. There have been at least 183 deaths.
Read more: https://www.iol.co.za/trends/listeriosis
South Africa's Department of Health issued a recall notice of processed meat products last Sunday after the killer bacterium was traced to Enterprise factories in Polokwane and Germiston and advised the public to avoid all processed meat products that were sold as ready-to-eat.
The United Nations has previously said that South Africa's listeriosis outbreak is believed to be the largest-ever worldwide.
Listeria contamination can result in a flu-like illness, infection of the bloodstream and, in severe cases, infection of the brain which can prove fatal.
Infection mainly affects children and has a three-week incubation period, making it difficult to track.
Other countries that have imposed restrictions on South African meat imports are Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
AFP and Weekend Argus