South Africa’s Health Department has announced that Mpox cases have climbed to 20, but that 15 of these patients have received a clean bill of health.
The Health Department says males continue to be the affected demographic, with the ages of those diagnosed ranging from 17 and 43 years old.
The most recent cases involve a 17-year-old male from Johannesburg, a 37-year-old male from Pretoria East, a 29-year-old male from West Rand, and a 19-year-old male from Durban.
The patients, who have recovered, made use of the limited Tecovirimat (TPOXX) available in South Africa. The medication is not registered in the country but has been provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In a briefing earlier this week, WHO’s Joseph Wamala reportedly said another batch of treatment is on the way to the country, which will be sufficient to treat 50 people locally.
This will hopefully assist the five people who remain hospitalised. The Health Department says they are experiencing severe complications, exacerbated by unmanaged or recently diagnosed underlying conditions, such as HIV.
Since the outbreak of Mpox in May 2024, South Africa has recorded three deaths.
Of the cases reported thus far, ten were reported in Gauteng, nine in KwaZulu-Natal, and one in the Western Cape.
READ MORE: One dead as five Monkey Pox cases recorded in SA
The Health Department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, further notes that early medical intervention is crucial. In a statement on Thursday, he urged anyone exhibiting suspected symptoms to visit the nearest healthcare facility for a professional evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment, rather than attempting self-diagnosis and isolation.
“Common symptoms of Mpox include a rash which may last for 2 – 4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes). The rash looks like blisters or sores, and can affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, etc.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to experience the biggest outbreak of the disease, according to Al Jazeera. Roughly 7 851 cases of Mpox were reported in the country by the end of May.
