THE Western Cape health said it’s prepared and ready to respond to any possible cases of monkeypox.
It also urged the public not to panic.
This comes after the country recorded the second case of monkeypox on Tuesday, 28 June.
The case involves a 32-year-old man from the Western Cape. The first case was recorded on 23 June from Gauteng.
The department said: “Local health teams and outbreak teams have been alerted and are on the lookout to identify cases. Western Cape government health and wellness are prepared and ready to respond to any possible cases.
“Members of the public who experience symptoms similar to monkeypox are urged to report to their nearest healthcare facility or health worker for diagnosis and treatment. There is no need for public panic, as monkeypox is not highly contagious or easily transferable – it needs close contact to be transferred. Standard hygiene practices are effective in preventing infection.”
Monkeypox is currently monitored by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and contact tracing has started to identify any other related cases across the country.
The NICD said in the second case, the man has no recent history of travelling.
“Currently, it is not known if the first and second cases are linked,” it said.
Since May 2022, monkeypox has been reported in more than 4 000 individuals from several European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
Monkeypox presents with an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin.
The NICD said the disease was rarely fatal and cases typically resolved within two to four weeks, and most cases do not require hospital treatment.
