The Department of Health has activated its outbreak response team in the Western Cape after a 38-year-old man who sought medical intervention at a private medical practice in Cape Town tested positive for mpox.
The department confirmed on Monday that this latest case increases to 25 the total number of positive cases recorded in the country since the outbreak in May this year including three deaths.
Twelve of these were reported in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal and now two Western Cape.
In a statement on Monday, Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department called for continued public vigilance in light of the latest case.
The upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa resulted in the World Health Organization declaring mpox a public health emergency of international concern.
About the latest case, Mohale said the patient had experienced typical mpox lesions on the face, trunk, thorax and genitals, and headache, light sensitivity, sore throat and muscle pain before approaching a private facility on September 4.
“The patient was not admitted but urged to home-isolate while waiting for test results. The results came back positive on Friday, 6 September.
According to investigation report, the patient has no recent international travel history nor contact with a suspected or confirmed mpox case,” said Mohale.
He said the patient is home isolating and in a stable condition.
“We urge all the identified and suspected contacts to co-operate with health officials during contact tracing for screening and possible diagnosis to prevent further transmission of this preventable and treatable disease. The health-care workers understand the importance of confidentiality in managing reported and suspected cases of notifiable medical conditions.”
The department said the risk of wider transmission in South Africa remained, but anyone can contract mpox regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation and race. Some of the common symptoms of mpox include a rash which may last for 2–4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes).
Cape Times