Cape Town:The Department of Health (DoH) has announced four new laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox, raising the total number of infections from 18 to 22.
According to South African Government News Agency, one of the newly confirmed cases involves a male from Cape Town who traveled to Spain. Initially classified as a probable case pending laboratory confirmation from Spanish health authorities, the case has now been confirmed positive and added to the total count.
The other three new cases include two imported infections involving citizens from Germany and Norway. Out of the 22 confirmed Mpox cases, 18 are located in the Western Cape, three in Gauteng, and one in KwaZulu-Natal. All patients are male, except for one.
The DoH, in collaboration with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, is assisting health authorities in the Western Cape to implement response measures such as contact tracing and enhanced surveillance.
The department reminds the public that Mpox symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, and a rash or skin lesions appearing on various parts of the body. Individuals who have had close contact with a confirmed case in the past 21 days and develop symptoms are advised to seek medical attention promptly and inform healthcare providers of their exposure history.
Although most cases are concentrated in the Western Cape, the detection of transmission clusters and cases in multiple provinces emphasizes the need for continued public cooperation, early detection, and ongoing surveillance to prevent further spread. Last week, the DoH urged the public to remain vigilant about Mpox symptoms following a rapid increase in confirmed cases.