South Africa has detected its third case of monkeypox after a 42-year-old man from Switzerland, currently on holiday in Limpopo, was confirmed to have contracted the viral disease.
This comes after the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) detected the first two cases of monkeypox in June.
This means the country now has three known cases since the global outbreak began.
Limpopo Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, is calling for calm amidst the confirmation of the province’s first case of monkeypox.
According to the MEC, the patient presented with signs and symptoms such as rash, lymphadenopathy, muscle ache and fatigue.
Ramathuba is pleading with the community not to panic.
“We are calling for calm. We can confirm that the case is an outpatient, currently isolating and requires no admission,” she stressed.
According to the MEC, the department has already sent officials to follow through with the case.
“Three contacts have already been identified and none of them has developed signs thus far,” she said in the statement.
According to the latest World Health Organisation’s latest epidemiological update, from 1 January to 4 July 2022, 6 027 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox and three deaths have been reported to WHO from 59 countries in five WHO regions.
“The clinical presentation of monkeypox cases associated with this outbreak has been atypical, as many cases in newly-affected areas are not presenting with the classically described clinical picture for monkeypox, that is, fever, swollen lymph nodes, followed by a centrifugal rash,” said the WHO.
The virus is transmitted through person-to-person close, direct contact with an infected person or contaminated materials such as bed linen, clothes and other household items.
It is also noted that the disease is rarely fatal. Cases can resolve within two to four weeks, while isolation of cases is recommended to limit the spread of infection.
The virus is said to be not highly transmissible, unlike influenza or the SARS-CoV-2.
However, Ramathuba has encouraged all people who interact with many people in their line of work to continue wearing masks, even though the COVID-19 protocols have been relaxed. – SAnews.gov.za
