Gauteng put on polio alert

The department was worried about the spread of the disease as people from the DRC entered South Africa. ugg boots for cheap

"People with the following signs and symptoms of polio: fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness and loss of function of limbs and muscle pain are encouraged to immediately seek medical attention at their local health facility.

"Investigations are ongoing to determine the origins of the virus," the department said in a statement.

The virus was affecting mostly teenagers and adults in the DRC. Health professionals in the province had strengthened "surveillance" of polio to prevent the spread.

The department said people needed to wash their hands before eating, as well as after using the toilet, as the polio virus was commonly spread through hands contaminated with infected stool.

Since Sunday there had been 184 case of acute flaccid paralysis and 85 deaths in the DRC. ugg australia boots
Boks ignore the stats
Judging by their refusal to bother whether the Millennium stadium roof is open or closed, however, the Boks are still sticking to their line about not entertaining excuses.

But their theme for the week has been aimed at foisting the "favourites" tag onto the Welsh.

Assistant coach Dick Muir set the ball rolling on Monday when he declared that, because the Boks finished third in the Tri-Nations, Wales would have identified tomorrow's game as the one they could win against the southern hemisphere teams. ugg boots outlet

But the numbers suggest otherwise. Since winning their grand slam in 2008, Wales have lost 11 of their last 16 games. They have also won just one of their last 11 games against the Tri-Nations teams.

The Welsh have only beaten South Africa once, in 1999 - a feat that was followed by an 11-game losing streak.

Yet for all that statistical contradiction, Wales are not a team South Africa find it easy to play against, if the close finishes over the years are anything to go by.

Steyn did his best to explain why: "They're always hard to play in Cardiff, I've never come here and had an easy game or a walkover, and I've been here with Jake [White] and Peter [de Villiers]." uggs outlet

The game is not lacking in external hype - the Bok grand slam tour, Victor Matfield becoming the most-capped Springbok (with 103 caps), and the fact that the two teams are group rivals at next year's World Cup. But this one will be decided among the forwards.

Both packs dominated their opposition last weekend, with the Welsh defeat by Australia moving lock Bradley Davies to lament: "All games are won in the forwards, just not this one."

Wales coach Warren Gatland has picked the same tight five who decimated the Australian scrum. It's a pack which also features an all-British & Irish Lions front row in Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Reese and Adam Jones.

The interesting selections are out wide, where Gatland has resisted public opinion by persisting with Mike Phillips and Stephen Jones at halfback, with James Hook moving to inside centre to accommodate Lions fullback Lee Byrne.

Gatland's halfbacks make sense because they have a history of troubling South Africa, with 18-year-old winger George North - all 1.92m and 104kg of him - something of a mystery man for the Boks.

The Welsh bench, with busy scrumhalf Richie Rees and explosive loosies Ryan Jones and Andy Powell, appears aimed at delivering the knockout blow after the heavies have worked the Springbok body.

It's not a bad tactic, given how the Boks finished in Dublin last week.

The Bok insurance against that sees Willem Alberts, he of the blockbuster runs and tackles, lurking on the bench for his debut. ugg boots on sale