NICD confirms 23 cases of measles in KZN
The majority of laboratory-confirmed measles cases in the current outbreak in KZN are from the eThekwini area.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases says at least 23 cases have been identified in four of the province's 11 districts.
The institute's Kerrigan McCarthy says 14 cases have been reported in eThekwini.
Umgungundlovu has six reported cases, Ilembe - two - and Uthukela one.
McCarthy says three cases have been confirmed for children under the age of five while the oldest patient is 51.
"Measles can be a very serious disease if a person has not been vaccinated. Children under one particularly vulnerable. Complications include pneumonia and respiratory distress. Children can even die from measles," she says.
The institute says most of the cases are among communities not wanting to vaccinate on religious grounds due to the presence of porcine gelatin. The KZN Health Department is urging communities to vaccinate against measles.