Health Minister Joe Phaahla has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in South Africa.
The patient is a 30-year-old male from Johannesburg with no travel history.
“Late yesterday, I received a report from the National Health Laboratory Services CEO that they have confirmed through laboratory tests the first case of monkeypox in South Africa. Working with the relevant health authorities a process of contact tracing has begun,” said Phaahla.
Monkeypox is usually a mild disease manifesting as blisters on the skin, it is usually mild and self-limiting with a fatality rate of 1%.
The disease has previously been reported in African countries such as Nigeria, DRC, CA Republic, and Ghana in the early 2000s.
The current outbreak is dominated by high numbers in European countries such as Spain, Germany, Portugal, France as well as the UK.
Phaahla said the NICD is conducting online in-service training for health workers to detect the disease so that the necessary laboratory tests can be done.
“The disease only spread through close droplets so you cannot get it by being in the same room with an infected person. Thus far it has been dominant in men who have set with men, but the main feature is that transmission is through close contact.”
