South Africa has reported two additional laboratory-confirmed cases this week.

By Thabiso Nkuna

Despite heightened public awareness and intensive contact tracing efforts to control the
spread of Monkeypox, or Mpox, South Africa has reported two additional laboratory-
confirmed cases this week. This brings the total number of infections to 22 since the first case was reported in May this
year, while the death toll remains at three. According to the Department of Health, available scientific data suggests that the disease is being transmitted from person to person within the country’s borders.

“The Department of Health calls for the public to remain vigilant and never lower their guard
against Mpox disease, as the country remains on high alert for a possible surge,” the
statement read. The latest case involves a 40-year-old man who was diagnosed at a private health facility in
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on July 6, 2024. “The patient is from Johannesburg, Gauteng, but travelled to Durban over the past weekend, where an Mpox-like rash developed,” the department explained.

The other case involves a 26-year-old man from Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal who presented
with an Mpox-like rash at a local hospital. “Both new cases self-identified as MSM [men who have sex with men] with no international, but local travel history.” The department is urging people who experience any of the Mpox symptoms, with or without an international travel history, to present themselves to a health facility for clinical
observation and confine themselves to one place until their test results are available. 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.

Meanwhile, contact tracing and monitoring are ongoing in both provinces, especially among
the close contacts of the patients, said the department. “We urge all the identified and suspected contacts to cooperate with health officials during contact tracing for screening and possible diagnosis to prevent further transmission of this
preventable and treatable disease.”