Situational Report on NICD Listeria outbreak
Author: National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)
Source: National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)
Descriptive epidemiology
As of 03 January 2018, a total of 717 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases have been reported to NICD since 01 January 2017 (Figure 1). Most cases have been reported from Gauteng Province (61%, 436/717) followed by Western Cape (13%, 92/717) and KwaZulu-Natal (7%, 50/717) provinces. Cases have been diagnosed in both public (66%, 470/717) and private (34%, 247/717) healthcare sectors. Diagnosis was based most commonly on the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes in blood culture (70%, 502/717), followed by CSF (24%, 175/717). Where age was reported (n=683), ages range from birth to 93 years (median 26 years) and 39% (268/683) are neonates aged ≤28 days (Figure 2). Of neonatal cases, 96% (258/268) had early-onset disease (birth to ≤6 days). Females account for 55% (382/692) of cases where gender is reported.
To read the full Situational Report on the Listerosis outbreak, click here.