Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, calls for public vigilance as the country records the laboratory-confirmed case of Monkey Pox disease, otherwise known as Mpox. Picture: Supplied
National Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has called for public vigilance after Gauteng recorded a case of Monkeypox.
In a statement on Monday, spokesperson for the Health department, Foster Mohale, said the case was first tested by Lancet Laboratory which was later confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) which immediately notified the department.
Who is the Monkeypox patient?
The patient is a 35-year-old man living in Gauteng. He tested positive for Monkeypox on May 9.
"According to the preliminary investigation and case findings reports, the patient has no recent travel history to countries experiencing an outbreak of the disease," the department stated.
Both the national and Gauteng Departments of Health have been actively involved and are managing the situation as per protocol and national guidelines. Contact tracing has in continuing, identifying any additional linked cases of Monkeypox in South Africa.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a rare viral infectious disease in humans caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV). Although, the virus is not highly transmissible from person-to-person, but it has increased in global public health significance and can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
The department explained that from 2023, there has been an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, primarily due to a distinct MPXV clade I. The clade I is characterised by its high virulence and has a higher fatality rate than the global outbreak-associated clade II.
"Additionally, transmission of MPXV clade I is mostly observed among heterosexual individuals through sexual transmission, particularly among female sex workers," the department noted.
The risk to the general population is considered low, given the low transmissibility of the virus. The last reported cases of Monkeypox in South Africa were in August 2022.
The World Health Organization recommends increasing vigilance for cases with contact tracing and monitoring of laboratory-confirmed cases.
The NICD said five unlinked laboratory-confirmed Monkeypox cases reported in SA with no deaths.
The cases in SA were reported in:
Limpopo - 1
Gauteng - 2
Western Cape - 2
There were no secondary cases linked to the five confirmed cases.
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