Report: UPDATE ON LISTERIOSIS OUTBREAK, SOUTH AFRICA- 1011 cases with 193 dead

From the beginning of the outbreak in January of 2017, until 09 April 2018, a total of 1011 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases have been reported to National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD). Listeria monocytogenes was most commonly isolated/detected in blood culture (73%, 733/1011), followed by CSF (21%, 213/1011). The ages of the infected people range from birth to 93 years (median 18 years) and 41% (418/1011) are neonates aged ≤28 days. Of neonatal cases, 96% (402/418) had early-onset disease (birth to ≤6 days). Females account for 56% (549/979) of cases where gender was reported. Final outcome data is available for 68% (691/1011) of cases, of which 28% (193/691) died. @ http://www.nicd.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NICD-Situation-update-on-listeriosis-outbreak-South-Africa_13-April-2018.pdf