A Durban man has tested positive for Monkeypox, the country's second laboratory-confirmed case in just a few weeks.
"The new patient is the 39-year-old male who was admitted at Addington Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal without travel history to countries and regions currently experiencing the outbreak of the disease," the national Department of Health said.
The department said it is working closely with the province and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) which has activated contract tracing and case to identify and assess people who have been in contact with the patient to prevent further transmission, especially at a household and community level.
This will also assist to establish if the second case was in contact with the first case confirmed in Gauteng earlier this month. At the time, IOL reported that a 35-year-old man tested positive.
"The case was first tested by Lancet Laboratory which was later confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which immediately notified the department," the department said.
The World Health Organization said there has been a Monkeypox outbreak in several countries, with at least 466 lab-confirmed cases across 22 countries. Three deaths have been reported.
The most affected regions are the WHO African Region, the European Region, the Region of the Americas, the Western Pacific Region, and the South-East Asia Region.
In the African Region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports the highest number of confirmed positive cases, which represent just over a tenth of the suspected (clinically compatible) cases and deaths reported.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infectious disease in humans caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV). Although, the virus is not highly transmissible from person-to-person, but it has increased in global public health significance and can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
The department is urging people who experience suspected symptoms of Monkeypox or Mpox disease to visit their nearest healthcare provider for screening and testing to ensure early diagnosis and effective treatment to prevent further spread of the disease.
IOL News