Johnathan Paoli
Health Minister Joe Phaahla has updated the nation on the initial outbreak of Mpox, formerly referred to as Monkeypox, within the country as well as the government’s plan to tackle the situation.
In a statement made on Wednesday in Pretoria, Minister Phaahla said the latest case involved a 39-year-old male who was admitted to the Addington Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister was joined by health experts from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the World Health Organisation and senior officials from the health department.
The Minister said the global outbreak of Mpox started in 2022 and that it was a notifiable medical condition that South Africa is currently experiencing.
“South Africa is among the countries currently experiencing the outbreak of Mpox, a viral infection which spreads between people and occasionally from the environment to people via object and surfaces that have been touch be a person with mpox,” the Minister said.
The country has so far recorded a total number of 5 laboratory-confirmed cases and one death, with two of the cases being located in Gauteng, and three in KwaZulu-Natal.
Dr Phaahla said all cases and patients are males aged between 30 and 39 years without travel history to the countries currently experiencing an outbreak, which suggest there is local transmission of this infectious disease.
One patient had been discharged, one discharged for home isolation and follow ups being made. Two cases are still admitted in hospital, and sequencing analysis of three of the cases revealed Mpox clade llb, in keeping with the multi-country Mpox outbreak which began in 2022.
Symptoms include rashes lasting two to four weeks, fever, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands.
The department called on all citizens who have been experiencing symptoms to approach their nearest health facility and get tested.
The Minister confirmed that additional intervention was being considered, as the National Advisory Group for Immunization (NAGI) Technical working group for Mpox vaccines has been appointed and is considering a vaccine for both pre and post-exposure administration for high-risk groups, including but not limited to sex workers, healthcare workers and laboratory workers.
“The Department working together with partner organisations, has intensified both targeted and public awareness using various channels of communications to empower the citizens with crucial information related to Mpox to make well informed health decisions,” the minister confirmed.
He concluded by calling on the nation to communicate both efficiently and swiftly, in order to stop the potential spread in its tracks.
“One death is too many, especially from a preventable and manageable disease like mpox,” he said.
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