Bloemfontein | Monday
HIV-Aids was the biggest killer in the Free State, the provincial health department said in a statement released on Monday. Representative Elke Grobler was, however, unable to say if the incidence of the syndrome had increased in the province.
According to statistics 32,2% of the 21 311 blood samples taken in five health districts in the Free State tested positive for the HI-virus.
The districts the tests were conducted in were Bloemfontein and Bethlehem, Kroonstad, Qwa-Qwa, ThabaNchu and Welkom.
“It should be noted that these tests were done mainly on patients suspected to have Aids,” Grobler said.
She said the fact that HIV-Aids was not a notifiable disease made it difficult to gather statistics.
Notifiable diseases of which statistics were available, were tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis B, measles and leprosy.
Tuberculosis showed an increase of 7,4% in the period January to March this year.
Although the climate in the Free State was not conducive to malaria, 33 cases were reported.
These cases were imported from other provinces and neighbouring countries, Grobler said.
Six hepatitis B cases were reported in the first quarter of this year, five measles cases and one case of leprosy.
The leprosy case was reported in Petrusburg.
– Sapa
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