Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, is not a cause for concern in Western Cape. Picture: National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Mpox, a infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, is under control in the Western Cape even after the second case was recorded last week, says the provincial Department of Health and Wellness.
“We are closely monitoring the situation with our health teams and are working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to trace and contain cases of mpox,” said Dwayne Evans, a spokesperson for Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
He said by Thursday September 12 there were no additional confirmed cases beyond the two already reported.
This came after the National Department of Health said on Monday this week that the country recorded one more laboratory-confirmed case in Cape Town last week.
“The patient was a 38-year-old man who sought medical intervention at a private medical practice in Cape Town on Wednesday September 4 after he experienced typical mpox lesions on the face, trunk, thorax and genitals, and headache, light sensitivity, sore throat and muscle pain,” national department said in a statement.
It said the patient was not admitted in hospital but urged to home-isolate while waiting for test results.
“The results came back positive on Friday September 6. According to the investigation report, the patient has no recent international travel history nor contact with a suspected or confirmed mpox case,” the national department’s statement read.
The case increased the total number of positive cases recorded in the country since the outbreak in May this year to 25 cases, including three deaths. Twelve of these were reported in Gauteng, 11 reported in KwaZulu-Natal and two in Western Cape, the national department said.
It said the risk of wider transmission remains low in the country, but anyone can contract the infectious disease regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation and race.
Some of the common symptoms of mpox include a rash which may last for two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes). The painful rash looks like blisters or sores, and can affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, etc.
Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
The NCID said in its digital pamphlets that the main ways to catch mpox are: touching someone’s blisters or scabs or holding hands; being close to someone with mpox when they are coughing or sneezing and sharing items like bed sheets and towels.
It said most people who have mpox do not get very sick and usually recover without treatment.
“But some people who have a weak immune system can become seriously ill from mpox. These people include young children, pregnant women, people who have certain illnesses, or people who take certain medications,” it said.
Mpox can be prevented by avoiding physical contact with someone who has it.