South Africa: Government Investigates Gastrointestinal Illness Cases in the Eastern Cape

Reports of gastrointestinal illness emerged at Rhodes University in Makhanda and St Albans Correctional Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay. In total, 111 university-affiliated people and 23 inmates were affected. Some patients received treatment at healthcare facilities for severe abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration. These reports raised concern about a possible common source and the risk of further spread.

The Department of Water and Sanitation received a media alert from Rhodes University. It activated a response team with the provincial Department of Health and its regional offices. A larger technical team then collected water samples from the university and prison, including storage areas, distribution systems and related water infrastructure.

Preliminary findings placed the spread inside the university and prison systems, rather than municipal networks. Laboratory results were still pending. Authorities urged people with symptoms to seek care early, report suspected cases and practise careful hand hygiene while the investigation continued.

Gastrointestinal illness is illness involving the digestive system, especially the stomach and intestines. It can result from infections or other causes, although this investigation had not yet confirmed the cause. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. These symptoms matter because they can spread illness and make people lose fluids quickly.

Diarrhoea removes water and dissolved salts from the body. Vomiting can prevent a person from replacing those losses. If fluid loss continues, dehydration may cause weakness, dizziness and reduced urination. Severe dehydration can impair normal body functions and requires prompt medical care, particularly in vulnerable people.

The reported cases included severe cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration. Government urged anyone developing symptoms to seek medical attention early and report suspected cases to a healthcare facility or local health authority. Early reporting helps authorities respond and limit further spread. The article does not identify the final cause.

The investigation covered 134 reported cases in total. Rhodes University in Makhanda accounted for 111 affected people. St Albans Correctional Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay accounted for 23 affected inmates. These figures describe reports received by authorities while laboratory testing was still underway.

The preliminary findings were notable because the illness was concentrated within the university and the correctional centre. At Rhodes, investigators sampled the internal water storage and distribution system, the municipal distribution network and the water treatment works. At St Albans, they sampled the elevated water storage tower that receives potable water from the municipal supply system.

The findings did not indicate a broad municipal outbreak at that stage. Instead, initial tests pointed to contamination within each institution’s water distribution system, not the wider municipal systems. Final laboratory results for all collected samples were still pending. Authorities said results would be communicated when available and urged early reporting of symptoms.

The preliminary distinction was between local institutional systems and wider municipal networks. Initial test results indicated contamination within Rhodes University’s water distribution system and within St Albans Correctional Centre’s system. They did not indicate contamination within the municipal distribution systems serving the broader communities. This mattered because it narrowed the immediate focus of the investigation.

Investigators sampled several points at Rhodes, including internal storage and distribution, the municipal network and the water treatment works. At St Albans, they sampled the elevated storage tower through which the centre receives potable water from Nelson Mandela Bay’s municipal supply. Comparing these locations can help identify where contamination may be present.

The conclusion remained preliminary. Laboratory results for all samples were still pending, so authorities had not announced a final source. The technical team was continuing its work and implementing urgent measures to protect communities. The article therefore supports a localised finding, not a definitive explanation of how contamination entered either institutional system.

If contaminated water remains in a building’s storage or distribution system, people using that system may continue to encounter the contaminant. Drinking the water or using it with food could expose more people. Ongoing exposure could keep illness concentrated in the building and make it harder to stop transmission. The article’s preliminary findings made this risk important at both institutions.

At Rhodes University, investigators sampled internal storage and distribution infrastructure. At St Albans, they sampled the elevated storage tower supplying the correctional centre. These locations can hold or carry water before it reaches users. If contamination is present there, it may affect multiple outlets connected to the same system. The article does not state the exact contaminant or confirmed transmission route.

Laboratory results were still pending, so the final consequences could not yet be confirmed. Authorities urged early medical care, case reporting and handwashing after toilet use and before handling food. Those measures support faster detection and reduce opportunities for further spread while testing and response actions continue.

The investigation involves several kinds of expertise because the problem connects illness, water and public safety. Health departments can track symptoms, support patients and identify reported cases. Water authorities can test sources, storage and distribution systems. Municipalities understand local networks and can coordinate action in affected communities. The NICD contributes specialised testing and disease investigation.

The team includes the DWS, provincial Health and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs departments, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Makana Local Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the NICD, Amatola Water and Rhodes University. The correctional centre and university also provide access to their internal systems and information about affected people.

This cooperation helps compare institutional samples with municipal water results and link laboratory findings to reported illness. A meeting led by Minister Pemmy Majodina and Premier Oscar Mabuyane received updates on cases, NICD samples, water tests and urgent protective measures. Final laboratory results were still pending, so joint action remained necessary.

Potable water is water treated to make it suitable for human use. In normal systems, raw water is processed to remove particles and reduce disease-causing organisms. Treatment commonly includes settling and filtration, followed by disinfection. Water is then stored and sent through pipes under managed conditions. These barriers are intended to prevent harmful organisms from reaching users.

Safety depends on more than the treatment works. Storage tanks, towers and internal pipes must also be protected from contamination. Water quality testing at treatment works, municipal networks and building systems can help identify where a problem occurs. In this investigation, samples were taken from Rhodes University’s treatment-related and internal systems, and from St Albans’s elevated storage tower.

The article does not describe the exact treatment process used in these systems or identify a contaminant. Preliminary findings pointed to institutional distribution systems rather than municipal networks, but final laboratory results were pending. The investigation therefore focused on both treated supply and the systems carrying it inside each facility.