The Department of Health has issued a call for heightened awareness among the public as three new laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox have been detected.
According to the department, the first case, identified on 21 February 2025, involves a 30-year-old male residing in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, who recently travelled to Kampala, Uganda.
“The patient was diagnosed with Grade I Mpox virus, which is currently circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and has been reported in travellers returning to many locations around the globe,” the statement read.
The other two confirmed cases - a 30-year-old male and a 27-year-old female, both from Ekurhuleni, were identified through thorough contact tracing and monitoring efforts led by outbreak response teams.
The department believes this development highlights the vital importance of open communication from primary cases to facilitate effective contact tracing.
“All three cases are now recovering and self-isolating at home,” said the department.
The latest statistics bring the total cumulative number of positive cases from 25 to 28 cases, including three deaths since the outbreak in May last year.
Meanwhile, these are the first positive cases of Mpox recorded in South Africa this year after the last infection was reported in September 2024.
Globally, Mpox continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) as per the declarations by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in August 2024.
While the department assures that there is no need for public alarm, it stressed the importance of remaining vigilant regarding the transmission of Mpox.
Symptoms to watch for include a rash lasting two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, and swollen glands.
Generally, Mpox presents as a mild, self-limiting disease with a low case fatality rate.
The risk of widespread transmission in South Africa at this time is considered low; however, the department said the disease can affect individuals across all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and races.
“The department urges all people experiencing any of the symptoms, with or without travel history to countries and regions experiencing Mpox outbreaks, or who had close contact with known Mpox patients to seek medical care.
“Although, the country has a limited stock of Mpox-specific vaccines for the treatment of patients who experience severe health complications as a result of this disease,” it said.
Residents were also reminded to practice handwashing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitisers, especially before eating or after using the restroom, to help mitigate the spread of the disease. – SAnews.gov.za
