Obrein Simasiku
Omuthiya
The Vienna sausage containing listeria that sickened a 47-year-old man in Tsumeb over two weeks ago in the first case of the disease reported in Namibia since the deadly outbreak in South Africa, was supplied from a butchery in Grootfontein.
This was revealed by the director of health in Oshikoto Region, Peter Angala, who said they had established the source of the meat product but he could not confirm whether it was imported from South Africa where the outbreak has so far claimed almost 200 lives.
“We have established the market where the Vienna was bought. We will have a meeting with the managing director of the company which supplied the product, then we will screen and go to the market and remove all the products associated with the outbreak and dispose of them,” said Angala in a telephonic interview with New Era.
Angala said the situation is under control, adding that they have all the necessary measures in place for monitoring, especially at entry points to Otavi and Grootfontein.
Meanwhile the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has called on the relevant authorities to set up proper monitoring systems in all four corners of the country as a matter of urgency, to ensure all businesses adhere to the directive to remove all products associated with listeriosis.
“It is our belief that more public education should be conducted particularly on food that causes listeriosis, especially in the underprivileged communities. The SPYL wants such campaigns to be conducted in the vernaculars, through radio, television and community outreach programmes,” stated SPYL secretary for health, population and environment, Julius George Gaeseb.