WESTERN CAPE. — The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness expects that more mpox cases can be identified as contact tracing continues following two social gatherings that are linked to cases in Cape Town. Thirteen of the province's cases have been identified since mid-August and are linked to the two gatherings according to the department.
The latest data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows that 21 mpox cases, of which 17 in the Western Cape, have been confirmed by 18 September. Dr Saadiq Karriem, operational head of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, says most cases have been mild so far and patients were able to isolate at home where possible.
Mpox spreads mainly through close physical contact, including contact with lesions, as well as contaminated clothing, bedding and other material. Symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle pain and swollen glands, followed by a rash or lesions that can appear on different parts of the body.
Contact tracing is continuing in collaboration with the City of Cape Town, the NICD, the national Department of Health and the World Health Organization. Karriem says health authorities expect possibly a few more cases that may result from the two group gatherings.
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This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
