South Africa’s Mpox numbers creep up to 22: Here’s what you need to know
· Citizen
South Africa logged four more laboratory-confirmed Mpox cases, pushing the national total to 22 as of Tuesday.
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The virus isn’t restricted to local transmission either; imported cases are driving some of these new numbers.
A 47-year-old Capetonian recently returned from Spain to Cape Town with the virus. Three additional cases were identified in visiting Norwegian and German nationals.
Where the cases are concentrated
The majority of infections are clustered in the Western Cape, with 18 cases, while Gauteng has three cases and one case was recorded in KwaZulu-Natal. Almost every patient identified so far is male, with ages ranging from 23 to 50.
In July, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and prevention donated more than 10 000 Mpox vaccines to the National Health Department.
Gauteng’s Health Department has assured it is ready to respond to Mpox.
“Mpox vaccines are available with a total of 586 doses currently in stock. The vaccines are stored in dedicated freezers at regional pharmacies, from where clinics can request them,” it said on Tuesday.
How to spot the symptoms early
Mpox doesn’t always show up the same way in everyone, but it usually starts with flu-like warning signs before turning into distinct skin markings.
Look out for high fever, pounding headaches and severe exhaustion, as well as deep muscle aches and persistent back pain.
The giveaway signal of Mpox is a painful rash or raised fluid-filled lesions appearing on your face, hands, feet or intimate areas.
How it spreads (and how to protect yourself)
Mpox relies heavily on close physical contact where it requires direct skin-to-skin contact with infected lesions or body fluids. However, it can also be picked up from shared items like unwashed bedding, towels or clothing that an infected person used.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale highlighted the urgency for anyone who thinks they might have been exposed.
“Anyone who has been in close contact with a confirmed case within the past 21 days and develops symptoms should seek medical attention promptly and inform healthcare providers of their exposure history,” he cautioned.
Mohale also stressed that while the Western Cape holds the primary cluster, scattered cases across other provinces mean everyone needs to be vigilant.
“The identification of transmission clusters and cases across multiple provinces highlights the need for sustained public co-operation, early detection and continued surveillance to prevent further spread,” Mohale explained, adding that official channels will issue further updates as new data comes in.