Cape Town - Health experts have reiterated that we’re still currently facing a diarrhoea surge season with an increase in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) viruses.

This after a number of people have reported gastric discomfort, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue and, in some cases, falsely linked this to the City water supply and enteric fever.

The City confirmed that diarrhoea cases continue to spike amid surge season, with a 70% increase in children younger than five presenting with diarrhoea at City clinics compared to last year.

City clinics saw 2 908 cases during January this year, compared to 1 710 during January last year.

Drinking water quality across the city is monitored regularly and according to the SA National Standard for Drinking Water, SANS:241, the City said.

Provincial Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “We are currently in diarrhoea season, which is from November to March, and annually see an increase in cases of diarrhoea.

“It is easy to confuse diarrhoea with enteric fever (typhoid fever). The main difference is that typhoid fever is a fever which includes diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting among other possible symptoms. Whereas diarrhoea is diagnosed with main symptoms which include a runny tummy and nausea or vomiting.”

Symptoms of diarrhoea include: runny tummy, blood in stool, nausea or vomiting, if a child is unable to drink or breastfeed, tremors or shakes, and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms of enteric fever include fever, headache, feeling unwell in general, abdominal pain or cramps, nausea and vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea, a rash on the stomach, and dry cough.

Last month, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said there was no evidence that recent cases of enteric fever were linked to contaminated municipal water in any part of the country, and there is no evidence that the bacteria causing enteric fever have recently been identified in municipal water sources anywhere in the country.

University of Cape Town’s Professor Leslie London said: “It’s summer, that’s the time for GIT viruses (it's called the ”diarrhoea surge“ in the way the Health Department approaches it). Nothing really unusual. People may be more alert to it because of Covid-19.”

shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za

Cape Argus