The National Institute of Communicable of Diseases (NICD) assured South Africans that there is no typhoid outbreak in Johannesburg.
Four cases of typhoid including one death, were confirmed in Johannesburg over the past week.
NICD said this prompted a rapid investigation by the Gauteng department of Health.
Three of the cases were imported related to travel in southern Africa. Other than the two cases from the same family there were no links between the cases.
Typhoid is endemic in Africa including South Africa.
Antibiotic therapy is effective in the majority of cases.
What is typhoid?
Typhoid fever, also called enteric fever, or simply ‘typhoid’, is a systemic illness caused by a bacterial infection with Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhi or serotypes Paratyphi A, B or C.
In the pre-antibiotic era, typhoid carried a mortality of 5-20%, and was a much feared illness.
However there are currently very effective antibiotics for treatment. In South Africa, typhoid is a notifiable condition, as it has epidemic potential.
Because typhoid is spread by faeco-oral contact, or through contaminated food or water, persons who have typhoid may spread typhoid to others if sanitation is poor.
Gauteng Department of Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu has called on Gauteng residents to be more watchful following more cases of typhoid.
Meanwhile, the health department confirmed four cases of typhoid fever had been identified in Johannesburg, and that one person had died, News24 reported.
The department said in a statement on Sunday that the cases were identified in Hillbrow and Yeoville in Johannesburg, Edenvale in Ekurhuleni, and Palm Springs in Vereeniging.
Two of the patients were admitted to the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital and the other two patients to the Edenvale District Hospital.
The 27-year-old female Malawian patient died at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital on January 17.
She had travelled to Malawi for the festive season and returned to Johannesburg via Mozambique on January 12.
