Although monkeypox is regarded as “low risk” in South Africa, the Health Minister, Dr. Joe Phaahla, says the large number of cases that have been verified as positive is raising concerns.
This news comes after the Minister on Friday disclosed the sixth incidence of monkeypox in the nation.
The most recent patient, according to Phaahla, is a 28-year-old Johannesburg resident who has been to Spain and the Netherlands in the past.
This indicates that between June 22 and August 17, 2022, five positive cases were reported in the nation.
Although monkeypox is less infectious than COVID-19 and smallpox and produces a milder sickness, he informed the media that the recent increase in verified positive cases is concerning and should not be taken for granted.
According to data, the first two instances reported in June did not include recent travel, while the third case was a Swiss tourist who has now completely recovered and returned to his or her native country.
The first four instances are unrelated, but the team is attempting to determine if the fourth and fifth cases are related since they both occurred in Spain, which has so far had more than 5,000 positive cases and two fatalities.
The current monkeypox epidemic was deemed a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23, 2022.
Prior to June 2022, no positive monkeypox cases were ever reported in South Africa, according to the Minister.
Despite the fact that the WHO has not suggested any travel restrictions, it is crucial for visitors to endemic countries to inform health professionals of the situation so they can help with case discovery and treatment.
Although there are now three vaccines being used to combat this viral illness globally, none of them have been licenced locally, according to Phaahla, there is no specialised monkeypox vaccination available in South Africa.
When the worldwide immunisation effort came to an end owing to the successful eradication of smallpox, which is comparable to monkeypox, South Africa stopped immunising against it, according to the Minister.
Since that time, the general public has not been provided with smallpox immunizations.
However, Phaahla asserts that thanks to their smallpox vaccines, the majority of adults over the age of 40 will have some protection to monkeypox.
According to Minister Phaahla, there have been 11 recorded global fatalities from monkeypox and 28 000 cases have been reported internationally.
According to the most recent statistics from the WHO, the number of cases has surpassed 35,000.
Due to the fact that the issue is under control, the experts have recommended against mass vaccination at this time.
He said that port health authorities are still conducting screening procedures at the ports of entry, including as visual inspection, temperature monitoring, and analysis of travellers’ health questionnaires.