By Sbongile Sokela
The Department of Health urges members of the public to be extra vigilant of mpox symptoms, also known as monkeypox – a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, and can be transmitted through close contact and respiratory droplets.
Three more laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease are detected in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng province. The newly detected positive cases include a 38-year-old man who presented to the healthcare facility with symptoms.
The other two confirmed mpox cases are a 14-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman who are both contacts of the other patient. None of the patients have recent travelling history to countries or regions currently experiencing an mpox outbreak, which suggests there is ongoing local transmission of the virus in the country. This also highlights the necessity of rapid and well-coordinated contact tracing for early detection and effective management of positive cases.
This increases the total cumulative number of positive cases from 28 to 31 cases since the outbreak in May 2024. The number includes six cases recorded since the beginning of this year. The patients are currently self-isolating and receiving appropriate clinical management from the healthcare workers.
The Department has activated outbreak response teams in the province for contact tracing and case investigation in the affected areas. Mpox is typically a mild and self-limiting disease with a low case fatality rate. The risk of wider transmission remains low in South Africa, but anyone can contract mpox regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, and race.
