Jun 20, 2022 | Molecular Biology
An outbreak of measles infection in Gauteng has been detected and confirmed by the NICD....
Jun 14, 2022 | Histopathology
In South Africa, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women. Major advances in cervical cancer screening, such as the development of liquid based cytology (LBC), have reduced death rates from cervical cancer worldwide....
Sep 01, 2020 | Infectious Diseases
Implement the most current version of regulations on health and safety measures to reduce and eliminate the escalation of COVID-19 infections in the workplace, as determined by the Department of Employment and Labour. Refer to the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) at www.nioh.ac.za for detailed resources....
Aug 01, 2020 | Chemical Pathology
SARS-CoV2, the cause of COVID-19, was identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019. Its unrepentant worldwide spread led to the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring a worldwide pandemic in early March 2020....
Jul 08, 2020 | Chemical Pathology
COVID-19The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and Covid-19 disease have challenged humanity in many ways. It has also changed the health profession. One example is how laboratory professionals, clinicians, scientists and technical staff moved from their usual role of providing ancillary information to primary clinicians and public health experts to centre stage....
Jan 31, 2020 | Chemical Pathology
COVID-19On this website you can find information and guidance from WHO regarding the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that was first reported from Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. Please visit this page for daily updates....
Jan 27, 2020 | Chemical Pathology
COVID-19The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, notes the increase in the number of novel coronavirus (2019-NCOV) cases that have spread across parts of the world....
Jan 21, 2020 | Chemical Pathology
On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) China country office reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The cause has since been confirmed as a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)....
Nov 14, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) can confirm that in South Africa, there is no case of Ebola nor has the NICD been asked to test for a suspected sample of Ebola from neighbouring countries....
Oct 15, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
There is no evidence of an outbreak of listeriosis. The number of cases reported since the official end of the 2017/2018 listeriosis outbreak is well within the expected range for sporadic disease....
Oct 11, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Three laboratory-confirmed measles cases were detected in Rustenburg sub-district, Bojanala Platinum district in North West province within a period of four weeks....
Oct 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Rabies is a fatal viral infection of the brain that is transmitted from infected animals to humans. Rabies is a progressive disease and once a person starts developing symptoms it usually takes no more than two weeks for them to slip into a coma and die....
Sep 05, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The traditional malaria season in southern Africa is from Sept to May, but cases occur throughout the year....
Aug 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The risk for introduction of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) related to the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo....
Jul 19, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The risk of spread of Ebola to South Africa remains low according to risk assessments conducted by the Department of Health....
Jul 19, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The 2019 South African influenza season, which started towards the end of April, has started to decline....
Jun 25, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
As is expected during the influenza season, there has been a marked increase in cases of influenza in the community as well as people seeking care for influenza-like illness at health care facilities....
Jun 13, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The Ugandan Ministry of Health (UMoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Uganda on 11 June 2019. This update reflects on the implications of the case for South Africa....
Jun 11, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The 2019 South African influenza season, which started towards the end of April, is ongoing. Transmission of influenza has reached high levels in the Viral Watch programme; however, the increase in influenza cases is a normal expected increase that takes place in winter....
Jun 07, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The 2019 South African influenza season, which started towards the end of April, is ongoing. Transmission of influenza has reached high levels in the Viral Watch programme....
May 29, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Since 12th May 2019, three anthrax outbreaks have been reported in the Maseru district of Lesotho. This update details the outbreaks as well as measures to prevent human exposure in South Africa....
May 15, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The 2019 influenza season has started. Every year during winter months, May to August, South Africa experiences an increase in influenza circulation called the influenza season....
May 14, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
A case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was confirmed in a 54-year-old man from the Ventersdorp surrounds, North West province in the first week of May 2019....
May 07, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The South African Field Epidemiology Training Programme (SAFETP) is requesting applications for the incoming 2020 class from qualified health professionals....
Apr 29, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Series of videos on causes of malaria, malaria diagnosis, risk factors, misconceptions, malaria medication, side effects, and travelling....
Apr 26, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
World Malaria Day takes place on 25 April each year. It is an internationally recognised day, highlighting the global efforts to control malaria and celebrate the gains that have been made. Since 2000, the world has made historic progress against malaria, saving millions of lives....
Apr 26, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Although the 2019 influenza season has not yet started, there has been an increase in the detection of influenza in specimens submitted to the NICD through the outpatient respiratory infections monitoring programmes....
Apr 24, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Report looking at three key aspects: the effect of human activity on mosquito biology, what impact changes in climate are having on the efficacy of insecticides aimed at malaria vectors, and what the effect of higher temperatures is on the major malaria vector....
Apr 08, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The DRC’S Ebola outbreak has all the makings of a humanitarian crisis. By the beginning of April, almost 700 people have succumbed to the disease, making this the second worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded....
Apr 03, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The World Health Organization has confirmed an outbreak of cholera in Beira, the city hardest hit by Cyclone Idai, in Mozambique. As of 1 April, a total of 1 052 cases of cholera have been reported by the Ministry of Health, and more are expected since >128 000 people are living in temporary shelters with unsafe water supply and poor sanitation and are at high risk of infection. An oral cholera vaccination campaign will start this week....
Mar 29, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
As we approach the holiday season, many will be travelling to malaria-endemic areas within South Africa and to neighbouring malaria-endemic countries. The map (below) indicates the three malaria-endemic provinces (northeastern Limpopo, eastern Mpumalanga, and northern KwaZulu-Natal) in South Africa....
Mar 26, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
An increase in the number of enteroviral meningitis cases has been reported from the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces since November 2018. All reported cases have resolved spontaneously and there have been no deaths. Enteroviral meningitis is a mild form of meningitis due to an enterovirus infections which include echo- and coxsackie viruses. Enteroviral meningitis is unrelated to serious meningitis infections caused by bacterial organisms....
Mar 13, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The World Health Organisation estimates that 124,000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2016 (about 330 daily)....
Mar 04, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a serious public health issue. It’s estimated that globally, more than a million people are diagnosed with one or more sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea, chlamydia or syphilis every day....
Mar 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Report detailing the use of the experimental Ebola vaccine to contain the outbreak in the DRC....
Mar 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The second largest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak recorded to date, is being reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The country was affected by EVD earlier in 2018, when 54 cases of EVD with 33 deaths were reported from the Équateur Province, located towards the western border of the country....
Mar 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
PathologyThe end of year festive season is a popular time for many people to travel, visiting friends and family. Health care providers and travellers returning from within the southern Africa region and further afield should be aware of the infectious disease risks related to travel....
Mar 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
The most recent bulletin posted by the World Health Organization’s African regional office reports ongoing cholera outbreaks in seven African countries, including Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo....
Feb 01, 2019 | Chemical Pathology
Malaria cases in South Africa are increasing as expected during the summer months. As at the end of October 2018, more than 16 000 cases with 110 deaths have been reported. This is fewer than during the large upsurge in malaria seen in the 2017- 2018 season....
Nov 16, 2018 | Chemical Pathology
During October and November 2018, certain private sector laboratories have reported an increase in Salmonella cases in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Salmonella was also the most likely cause of two recent foodborne disease outbreaks reported from eThekwini Municipality. Salmonella bacteria normally live in the guts of animals, including chicken, cattle, pigs and reptiles. People can become infected with Salmonella through eating contaminated food products such as meat, chicken, dairy and eggs!!...
Oct 04, 2018 | Chemical Pathology
Surviving Polio is a documentary film about the success story of Polio survivors from South Africa....
