As a South African, seeing the word “listeriosis” trending on Twitter is a signal of both bad news and terribly boring sandwiches devoid of meat products. But today, it’s trending for a positive reason.
Grab those knives, South Africa, because you can now eat polony to your heart’s content (or until your doctor advises otherwise).
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South Africa’s Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi announced today that the listeriosis outbreak, which plagued South Africa in early 2018, is now over. No new cases have been reported within the past three months.
The beginning of @SAgovnews’s thread can be found below.
. @HealthZA Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will at 11am brief media on the country’s efforts to end the outbreak of #Listeriosis. The briefing will take place at the National Health Laboratory Service, 1 Modderfontein Road Sandringham pic.twitter.com/fD9ymaE347
— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) September 3, 2018
The announcement comes after the Ministry of Health noted a decline in cases in May. In total, at least 172 people died as a result of the outbreak.
Understandably, after considering the death toll, some South Africans on Twitter still weren’t convinced that the outbreak was over, and that processed meat was now safe to eat.
Minister must eat Polony live on Tv then I’ll believe its over.#Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/kUGVNNP1OZ
— Pako Tong (@pako_tong) September 3, 2018
Who else wants to see Minister MotsoaledI eating ikota on live TV just for control
#Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/hRF2r1ReYJ —
15 September (@ZamaquntaD) September 3, 2018
Others simply wanted accountability.
So Motsoaledi says #Listeriosis outbreak is over; all we want to know is who was held accountable for the sicknesses and deaths from the previous outbreak? Is there anyone charged or jailed for it? And who will be held accountable if the outbreak repeats itself?
— Non- Conformist (@Mogodi_Pat) September 3, 2018
For some, today’s announcement was a case of “what outbreak?”
Retweet if you never stopped eating processed meats#Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/EMyGk8x7dA
— D҉I҉M҉A҉N҉D҉E҉ (@Dimande9) September 3, 2018
#Listeriosis
We never stopped eating them. pic.twitter.com/4LlpCDEePP— Nozamkelo_Nongqayi-Isaacs (@nozamkelo) September 3, 2018
Am I the only one who didn’t stop eating Polony When the Listeriosis saga was trending#Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/biC2E22K1K
— Siyabonga Vincent Zulu (@SiyaVincentZulu) September 3, 2018
And others couldn’t wait to enjoy their processed meats once more.
Mom bought polony today #Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/U4suHP0Iza
— PANDA JNR (@Kamohel16747550) September 3, 2018
#Listeriosis when parents hear they can make polony sandwiches for school lunch again pic.twitter.com/9VI3A3KUuV
— Aviwe (@bhelevee) September 3, 2018
Feature image: congerdesign via Pixabay (CC0)
