The national Department of Health confirmed on Sunday that two additional men have tested positive for Monkeypox (Mpox), raising the total number of reported cases to 24. To date, the disease has claimed three lives.
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It has been 26 days since the last Mpox case was reported in South Africa, according to the Health Department. Regarding the recent infections, the Department stated that a 36-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal was admitted to a public health facility in late July after experiencing an Mpox-like rash along with fatigue and muscle pain. The patient has no history of international travel, said Health spokesperson Foster Mohale.
The second case involves a 20-year-old man from Gauteng who was seen at a private health facility in Johannesburg on 2 August, 2024.
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‘The patient presented with typical Mpox lesions and has a history of international travel to Peru in South America. It is uncertain whether the exposure occurred in Peru or South Africa,’ the Department noted.
According to the World Health Organisation, Peru is among the countries with the highest numbers of Mpox cases in the Americas.
The Department of Health calls for continued public vigilance. Contact tracing and monitoring activities are ongoing in the affected communities in both provinces.
‘Of the 22 cases recorded between 8 May and 6 July, 19 have fully recovered,’ the Department confirmed.
Additionally, the Department announced the arrival of another batch of Tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, donated by the World Health Organisation.
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Picture:@WHOSouthAfrica / X
