District health services raises mpox awareness during screening drive

Tshwane Health District Services are urging residents to report to their clinic immediately should they suspect that they or a loved one may have mpox (formerly known as monkeypox).

This was conveyed during a Township, Informal Settlement and Hostel (TISH) health programme rollout held at an informal settlement at Soshanguve Ext 4 on June 26.

During the TISH programme, various health screenings were made available to residents including:

– Comprehensive health screening

– HIV Testing and screening

– TB Screening

– Family planning

– Immunisation services

– Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) services.

Mpox recently recorded its third death nationally as the number of South African cases continues to grow.

“Once someone has contracted mpox, it can be transmitted through physical contact such as touching, holding, kissing, sexual contact or touching something that an infected person has held already,” said Tshwane health promoter, Keamogetswe Maboane.

“It’s similar to chickenpox, an infected person can experience flu-like symptoms such as headaches, fever, fatigue, pain, swollen lymph nodes and visible rashes throughout the entire body. It is very important that should you feel that you have contracted the virus, [to] head to your nearest clinic right away for treatment,” Maboane said.

The Department of Health has confirmed a positive case of mpox in Pretoria.

The confirmed case is of a 29-year-old man diagnosed at a Mamelodi health facility on June 21.
Another 43-year-old man was diagnosed on June 22 at a private health facility in Johannesburg.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the patients who presented with symptoms indicative of disease had no international travel history.

“The latest cases/patients include a 40-year-old man from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal who presented with mpox-like symptoms, including a rash all over his body, and never presented in hospital,” said Mohale.

He died at home, and the results came back positive for mpox on June 23.

Mohale said this brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox in South Africa to 16 since the outbreak of the disease in May – eight in KwaZulu-Natal, seven in Gauteng, and one in the Western Cape.

All patients are men aged between 23–43.

He also said the department, working with provinces and other stakeholders in the sector, has embarked on health education with funeral parlours on how to handle the human remains of the deceased due to cases of suspected and confirmed mpox.

“The department would like to allay fears of possible travel restrictions or lockdowns because the World Health Organization has not recommended any,” he said.

However, it is important for travellers from mpox-endemic countries to seek healthcare if they are ill and to alert health officials about their travel for clinical guidance.

Mohale urged individuals, regardless of gender, age, or sexual orientation, with suspected mpox symptoms or who have had physical contact with an infected party, to go to a healthcare facility for clinical evaluation.

Anyone can contract mpox regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, or race.

Mpox symptoms usually show within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure and last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.

The National Health Department (NDoH) recently announced that mpox-specific treatment in the form of Tecovirimat (also known as TPOXX or ST-246) is now available.

The TPOXX treatment is for those experiencing severe health complications as a result of contracting mpox.

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