Health officials are on the ground in the Eastern Cape after 111 people at Rhodes University in Makhanda and 23 inmates at St Albans Correctional Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay reported gastrointestinal illness. The South African government has launched a formal investigation into both outbreaks.
The two sites are in different parts of the province, and the cases involve very different populations, which makes the timing notable. Authorities have not yet confirmed a shared cause or source linking the incidents.
As the investigation unfolds, students, staff, and correctional facility residents will be watching closely for answers on what triggered the sudden spike in cases.
Originally published by AllAfrica.