Windhoek, Mar 2 (IANS): Namibia has confirmed cases of typhoid fever in the capital district, Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula said Wednesday.

"Following the report of the first case in January, nine contacts, including three close contacts, were traced and tested for typhoid fever. Among the three close contacts, two tested positive," the minister told a press briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Cases of typhoid fever have been reported previously in Namibia, especially in Kavango East and Kavango West regions due to the use of river water," Shangula said. "Windhoek district in Khomas recorded only one case of typhoid fever in the past five years."

He said typhoid fever, a serious public health problem throughout the world, is transmitted through food and water contaminated by faeces and urine of an infected person. Polluted water is the most common source of transmission.

"The public is urged to remain calm and comply with the control measures put in place to contain and prevent further spread of the infection," Shangula said.

The minister told the briefing that a hepatitis E outbreak in Namibia has ended.

Hepatitis E virus was first detected in Namibia in December 2017, when the first cases were reported in Windhoek's informal settlements. The outbreak later spread to the rest of the country, with 8,090 cases reported by August 2021.