The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, says people must be careful because there’s a confirmed case of monkeypox disease, also called Mpox, in the country.
A 35-year-old man in Gauteng tested positive on 9 May 2024.
Lancet Laboratory first tested him, then the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed it and told the department.
Mpox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). It can give you a rash, swollen glands, and fever. Most people get better, but some get very sick.
The patient hasn’t been to places with a monkeypox outbreak recently.
The National and Gauteng Departments of Health are managing it properly, tracing contacts to find more cases.
Since 2023, there’s been a monkeypox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mainly because of a strong MPXV type called clade I. It’s more deadly than clade II, which caused previous outbreaks.
Clade I mostly spreads through sex, especially among female sex workers.
A new MPXV type, “clade 1b,” came up in April 2024 in Kamituga, DRC. It spreads faster, mainly through sex, raising worries about a big outbreak.
Monkeypox starts with fever and flu-like symptoms, then a rash comes out. It’s rarely deadly and usually goes away in 2-4 weeks. Most people don’t need to go to the hospital.
To stop the disease from spreading, confirmed cases should stay away from others until they’re fully better.
The risk to most people is low because it’s not easy to catch monkeypox.
The last monkeypox cases in South Africa were in August 2022.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says we should watch out for new cases and trace contacts. Keeping confirmed cases away from others can stop the disease from spreading. Vaccinating everyone against MPXV isn’t needed right now.