Pretoria - The National Department of Health has joined Tshwane district and Gauteng province to arrest the outbreak of hepatitis A.
At least 17 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed but only nine are epidemiologically linked.
The hepatitis outbreak started in Pretoria on 18 June 2011 and to date, no fatalities have been reported.
"It is currently reported that over 80 confirmed cases (both epidemiologically and non-epidemiologically linked) are reported in Tshwane on an annual basis," the department said in a statement.
The department urged all residents to employ good personal hygiene like washing hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before eating, as the highly-infectious disease is reported to be more prevalent in areas where hygienic and sanitary conditions are poor.
Hepatitis A is an acute, self-limiting (one that ends without treatment) disease of the liver caused by a virus. Symptoms vary from person to person depending on their age and include fever, vomiting, tiredness, loss of appetite, general body aches, yellow skin and eyes.
The Outbreak Response Teams at national, provincial and local level have been alerted and have taken steps to ensure that the outbreak is contained.
