South Africa records 18 confirmed Mpox cases — TimesLIVE
As of September 17, South Africa had registered 18 laboratory-confirmed and one probable case of Mpox. Most cases were detected in the Western Cape province, primarily in Cape Town, TimesLIVE reports, citing South African Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale.
Most cases are in Cape Town
According to the department, 13 cases out of the total were recorded between August 13 and September 17. Mohale said this indicates rapid local transmission of the viral infection.
Fifteen cases were detected in the Western Cape, including Cape Town, three in Gauteng, and one more in KwaZulu-Natal. The patients are aged between 23 and 50, with a median age of 36.5 years. Of the 19 confirmed and probable patients, 18 are men and one is a woman.
Case checked after travel to Spain
One of the recent cases concerns a person who travelled to Spain this month and returned to South Africa on September 14. The person was tested in Spain after being notified of their probable-case status. South African health authorities are in contact with their Spanish counterparts regarding laboratory test results to confirm this person's status.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Mpox can develop in people who have had close contact with a person who tested positive for the virus during the past 21 days. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and back pain, fatigue, a rash or skin lesions on the face, hands, feet, genitals, or other parts of the body.
Health authorities' recommendations
The virus is transmitted mainly through close physical contact with an infected person, including skin-to-skin contact with rashes or lesions, as well as through contaminated bedding, clothing, or towels. Transmission is also possible through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact, coughing, or uncovered sneezing.
People with relevant symptoms are advised to seek medical care immediately and avoid close contact with others. Frequent handwashing or the use of hand sanitizers was described as an effective way to prevent the virus from spreading. South African authorities, with support from the World Health Organization, have secured a limited number of Tecovirimat doses to respond to the outbreak; health authorities are to determine where and how they will be used.
