South Africa reports first case of Monkeypox
By Kevin CheruiyotSouth Africa has announced the first case of monkeypox in the country. The case was detected on a 30-year-old male with no recent travel history.
In a statement, National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) said the case was undergoing lab testing on Wednesday
“The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, confirms that a case of monkeypox has been identified through laboratory testing at the NICD on Wednesday, 22 June 2022. The case involves a 30-year-old male residing in the Gauteng province. He reports no recent travel history. Contact tracing has commenced, identifying any additional linked cases of monkeypox in South Africa,” the statement reads.
High numbers of monkeypox cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Portugal and France. Cases have also been reported in the US and Canada.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus is not highly transmissible and close physical contact is required for transmission. It does not spread similarly to influenza or the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Monkeypox manifest itself in acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin. The disease is rarely fatal and cases typically resolve within two to four weeks. Most cases do not require hospital treatment.
Prevention of infection hinges on the isolation of cases until fully recovered. The risk to the general population is considered low, given the low transmissibility of the virus.
More than 2100 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 43 countries since January 2022.