Once again, SA’s health systems have failed us. The listeriosis outbreak announced officially on Sunday is the largest in history. The historical sequence is that the national Department of Health reported the outbreak on January 8. At that time 61 people were already dead and the infection rate was about 750 people. The department then kicked into gear, trying desperately to find the source of the disease. In early February the death toll started increasing at a furious rate and, in the seven days until February 15, it doubled. Finally this weekend the department announced it had discovered a link and ordered Tiger Brands to remove three products — Enterprise polony, frankfurters and viennas — from the shelves. By this stage, 180 deaths had been reported. No disease is pleasant, but listeriosis must rank as one of the most cruel since it attacks pregnant women, the newborn and the elderly. If caught early, it is treatable with a thumping dose of antibiotics. It is transmitted orall...
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