The Department of Health has urged people experiencing suspected symptoms of monkey pox (mpox disease) to visit their nearest healthcare provider for screening and testing to ensure early diagnosis and effective treatment. This is after the country recorded the second laboratory-confirmed case of mpox disease.
COURTESY: NICDThe new patient is a 39-year-old male who was admitted at
Addington Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, without a travel history to
countries and regions currently experiencing the disease outbreak.
The first case was logged earlier this month, in Gauteng
when a 35-year-old man tested positive
The infectious disease is caused by the monkeypox virus and
has the potential to cause painful or itchy rash-like pimples or blisters and
fever.
The department working closely with the province and the
National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has activated contact
tracing and case finding to identify and assess people in contact with the
patient to prevent further transmission, especially at a household and
community level.
“This will also assist to establish if the second case was
in contact with the first case confirmed in Gauteng earlier this month.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) a total of
466 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox and three deaths from 22 countries were
reported globally in March 2024. The
most affected WHO regions include Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Western
Pacific and South-East Asia.
“In the African region, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo reports the highest number of confirmed positive cases, which represents
just over a tenth of the suspected clinically compatible cases and deaths
reported.”
“We urge the public and communities to support those who
test positive for mpox to take treatment and those with suspected symptoms to
go for screening and testing instead of discriminating against them.”
Done by: Bush Radio news reporter
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