Journal of Infectious Diseases & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

The recent outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa was the largest in the largest in the world in recent times. As a researcher who has done work on the foodbone pathogen I found that the lack of knowledge about the pathogen let to its vast spread around the country. More that 980 case were reported and 183 fatalities were reported by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases(NICD). Initial the source of the listeriosis outbreak was not known. It was eventual reported by South Africa�s Minister of Health that the source of outbreak of listeriosis was identified. The three food processing factories were found to be the three sources of listeriosis outbreak. The processed ready to eat meat products were the source of listeriosis. The investigations took more than a year to determine the source of the outbreak. The ready-to-eat meat processed meat products that were found to be the carriers of listeriosis from the affected factories were polonies, viennas, Russians and all other �cold meats. What I have learnt from this incidence was the slow respond for all the role players in food safety and environmental health. We did not respond immediately when the outbreak occurred. The listeriosis was not a notifiable disease like in other countries. It was only made notifiable disease recently after more than 176 deaths were reported. Other lessons learnt from this outbreak is that hygiene education food safety, and public health is very crucial and should start from the household to the cr.ommunity at large.

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