SA on high alert for a surge in new mpox cases and strains
The department said 24 cases have been recorded in the country so far, along with 3 fatalities, 19 recoveries, and two active cases undergoing home isolation.
FILE: Mpox virus particles, illustration. Picture: SERGII IAREMENKO/SCIENCE PHOTO L / SIA / Science Photo Library via AFP
JOHANNESBURG - The Health Department said that while it had the mpox outbreak in the country under control, it remained on high alert for a surge in new cases and strains.
This follows declarations by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, announcing the virus as a public health emergency of international concern.
Cases continue to surge in Africa, affecting thousands of people.
The department said 24 cases had been recorded in the country so far, along with three fatalities, 19 recoveries, and two active cases undergoing home isolation.
READ: More than 18,700 mpox cases detected in Africa since January: Health agency
Twelve of the cases were reported in Gauteng, 11 in Kwazulu-Natal, and one in the Western Cape.
"The country remains on high alert in case of a surge in mpox cases and the emergence of new contagious strains. Members of the public are urged to play their part and support the country's response efforts in order to prevent the spread of mpox by maintaining non-pharmaceutical interventions, including personal hygiene at all times," said Health Department spokesperson, Foster Mohale.