Overview
- Rhodes disclosed the cluster on Tuesday, 20 October, saying at least 109 students in 15 residences have fallen ill with diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps or fever.
- The university has supplied safe drinking water in dining halls, tightened food‑preparation precautions and is monitoring and treating affected students with rehydration support.
- Local public health and environmental health teams are working with the university to test residence water, review food safety and trace the source of the illnesses.
- There is no confirmed link between the Rhodes cases and the separate Bronkhorstspruit outbreak in Tshwane that government tied to contaminated water after 408 cases were reported earlier in October.
- Preliminary local reports include hospital referrals and early lab findings of high coliform counts and E. coli in some campus samples, so authorities will watch testing results and community case reports to decide next steps.