Ministry contains measles outbreak - El-Halabi

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Thursday February 11, 2010 00:00

Director of Public Health Shanaaz El-Halabi has told Mmegi however that they are still receiving reports of the disease outbreak in schools and various places across the country. 

However, she said that they remain at high alert and that the ministry is managing the disease. 

'Our districts are on high alert and are managing the outbreak quite well.  Though infection rates are still high, our health facilities are coping,' she said. 

The director said that they continue to advise people to protect themselves from measles by avoiding physical contact with those infected and to isolate sufferers  to control the spread of the disease. 

El-Halabi said that recovery from measles takes between five to 35 days, which is mostly dependent on the strength of a persons' immune system.

She advised people with unexplained fever, headache, cough, muscle and joint pain with running nose, reddish discolouration of the eye (conjunctivitis) and rash that usually starts around the face to seek medical help.