DoH announces fourth Monkeypox case after Western Cape man returns from Spain

Health Minister Joe Phaahla has announced on Monday that the country has recorded its fourth Monkeypox case after a Western Cape man returned from Spain.

According to a statement issued by the Department of Health (DoH), the 28-year-old male travelled in the second week of this month and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was administered to him.

“A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was performed in a private pathology laboratory and the samples were submitted to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) for sequencing analysis. Public health response measures to prevent the spread of the infection, including contact tracing have been instituted,” the statement reads.  

“The  fourth  case  follows  three  unlinked  laboratory-confirmed  Monkeypox  cases  that  were reported  from  Gauteng,  Western  Cape  and  Limpopo  provinces  respectively. These  cases were reported in males aged 30, 32 and 42-years who have since completed self-isolation and monitoring period without reported further symptoms and health complications.”

The DoH also stated that the minister would provide more details pertaining to the government’s response to the outbreak of the disease on Friday at a media briefing.

According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as of 12 August 2022, 31 799 cases of Monkeypox and 12 deaths have been recorded.

On 23 June, the World Health Organization convened an emergency committee (EC) of experts to decide if the disease constitutes a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) — the UN health agency’s highest alert level.

However, WHO’s Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was advised that the situation, at that point, had not met the threshold.

According to the CDC, Monkeypox can spread through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids.

It can also be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.

The CDC has advised the public to avoid skin-to-skin with people who have a rash that looks like Monkeypox and to wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.