Mpox cases rise, public urged to take precautions

With eight confirmed cases of mpox (monkeypox) in KZN, communities are urged to exercise good hand hygiene to minimise the spread.

While most reported cases in the province are in eThekwini, the health department is pleading with those with suspected mpox symptoms, or who had physical contact with known cases, to present themselves to a healthcare facility.

“The latest cases/patients include a 40-year-old male from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal who presented with Mpox-like symptoms including rash all over his body and never presented in hospital. He passed on at home and the results came back positive for Mpox on the 23 June,” the department of health said in a statement.

Some of the common symptoms of mpox include a rash which may last for 2 to 4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes).

The painful rash looks like blisters or sores and can affect the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet.

This as efforts are under way to secure more treatment and a vaccine for patients who experience severe health complications.

“All mild cases will continue to be managed with supportive treatment used to manage complications like fever, pneumonia and skin infections.

“The department urges all people regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, with suspected mpox symptoms or who had physical contact with known cases to present themselves at the healthcare facility for clinical evaluation because anyone can contract this preventable and treatable disease,” said department spokesperson Foster Mohale.

Mohale said hand hygiene is one of the effective ways of protecting people from getting sick and preventing transmission of the illness.

“People are reminded to always wash hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom,” said Foster.

Meanwhile, Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) in Durban has dispelled misconceptions that monkeypox comes from monkeys.

“We want to inform the public that this is misleading and not true at all. Despite its name, monkeypox does not come from actual monkeys.

“Monkeypox is spread through close contact with an infected person, not animals.

“So please, let’s not harm or mistreat monkeys or any other animals out of fear or misunderstanding.”

This plea comes after several vervet monkeys were admitted into the care of Crow after having been shot or poisoned.

This inexplicable situation was followed up by numerous calls to Crow by members of the public asking if monkeys were responsible for monkeypox.

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