GAUTENG. – South Africa recorded 18 confirmed cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and one probable case by Thursday. The Department of Health warned that 13 of the cases were reported between 13 August and 17 September, indicating rapid local transmission.
Foster Mohale, spokesperson for the Department of Health, said 15 cases were reported in the Western Cape, mainly Cape Town, while three were in Gauteng and one in KwaZulu-Natal. The patients were aged between 23 and 50 years, and 18 were men. Mpox can spread through close physical contact with an infected person, as well as through contaminated clothing, bedding and towels. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and rash or lesions.
People with symptoms, especially after contact with a confirmed or suspected case, must seek medical help immediately and avoid close contact with others. The government, with support from the World Health Organisation, has obtained limited quantities of mpox vaccine and treatment as part of the response to the outbreak.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
