Virus: cleaner discharged

2008-10-08 19:02

Johannesburg - The 51-year-old woman admitted to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Monday with symptoms of viral haemorrhagic fever has been discharged, the Gauteng health department said on Wednesday.

Maria Stuurman, a cleaning supervisor at Morningside Medi-Clinic, was discharged in the afternoon after doctors ascertained that she had not contracted the fever, said spokesperson Pumelele Kaunda.

On September 12, a 36-year-old woman, Cecilia van Deventer, was airlifted from Zambia to the Morningside Medi-Clinic in Sandton. She was treated for tick bite fever and other potential infections, but died two days later.

A Zambian paramedic who accompanied her into the country died last week, and a nurse at the clinic died on Sunday.

A list of 121 people who came into contact with the deceased had been compiled and they were having their temperatures taken every six hours for a three-week period, doctor Nivesh Sewlall told reporters on Tuesday.

Kaunda on Wednesday said the other 120 people still remained under observation.

Meanwhile, Morningside Medi-Clinic has disclosed that the relatives of the two victims admitted at the hospital are still there.

"They are here and are fine. They are getting emotional support and are low risk," spokesperson Melinda Pelser said.

Pelser said the hospital had a total of 70 people it was monitoring and all were reported "to be fine."

She stressed that these people were family members and health workers who had been in contact with the deceased and not any other patients.

Pelser reiterated that there was no infection at the hospital.

Dr Lucille Blumberg of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases said there was still no news on the laboratory results indicating the type of viral haemorrhagic fever.

She said the NCID was also awaiting news from their counterparts in Zambia.

Blumberg said the 121 people being monitored were mainly outpatients and not on the critical list.

- SAPA