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Dr Gerald Gwinji

Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter
THE Government has with immediate effect banned importation of food stuffs linked to the deadly listeriosis in South Africa following reports that processed ready-to-eat meats including polony and sausages had been identified as the source of the outbreak.

Listeriosis is a rare food-borne disease found in 10 cases per one million people and was first reported in South Africa early this year.

According to South African health officials, polony, Russian sausages, viennas, cold meat, ham, sausages, meat spreads, corned meat, salami, pepperoni and most refrigerated uncooked food are the source of the infection.

On Sunday‚ South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi named Enterprise’s food production plant in Polokwane‚ Limpopo‚ as the confirmed source of the unique strain of listeria‚ which has caused the world’s biggest documented listeriosis outbreak‚ with 948 confirmed cases and 180 deaths, online sources say.

In an interview yesterday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Major General (Retired) Dr Gerald Gwinji said no listeriosis cases had been reported in the country yet.

“There is a reported outbreak of listeriosis going on in South Africa which started on January 13. What makes this outbreak significant for us is that we do import quite significant amount of food particularly processed foods into Zimbabwe from South Africa,” said Dr Gwinji.

He warned members of the public against consuming all ready-to-eat processed foods associated with the identified companies.

“Should any products from these specified food production plants be found at our borders then our officials should confiscate, quarantine and then send them for destruction.

“Until we are very clear that the outbreak is under control and that the specified food production plants have been certified free of infection, we will avoid allowing any of those products to come into the country,” said Dr Gwinji

He said those at risk included pregnant women, infants aged less than 28 days, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system.

In a statement the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the disease takes a few days to weeks generally up to two weeks to start showing in those affected.

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to notify the public that Zimbabwe has not recorded any case of listeriosis. The outbreak of the disease which is being experienced in South Africa since the beginning of the year is still confined to that country and has not spread to Zimbabwe,” reads the statement.

Signs and symptoms of the disease include diarrhoea, high fever up to 38 degrees, headache, muscle pains and complications such as septicaemia and   meningitis.

South Africa’s online media outlets reported that major supermarkets like Pick n’ Pay and Woolworth had started recalling products linked to listeriosis.  — @thamamoe