Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba says the 42-year-old tourist from Switzerland, who is the province’s first case of monkeypox, is not suffering from severe disease.
The case brings the total number of infections in the country to three.
Last month, the National Health Laboratory Service announced that a 30-year-old Johannesburg man had tested positive and had no travel history.
A week later, a 32-year-old man from Cape Town also tested positive for monkeypox with no travel history.
Ramathuba explains the process of contact tracing for monkeypox. “We look into face-to-face contact, where if you were not wearing a mask, you could have been at risk, we also look at if you had been in contact with the skin of the person who is infected with those skin blister-like lesions. We also look at the issues of your sexual partners, and we also look at the clothing that you were using, the linen, especially in this environment which is a lodge,” says Ramathuba.
VIDEO: Limpopo Health confirms a case of monkeypox in the province: Dr Phophi Ramathuba
The Northern Cape Health Department says it is concerned over the growing number of cases of monkeypox. The Northern Cape has not reported any cases but calls for vigilance against monkeypox.
Health MEC Maruping Lekwene says measures against COVID-19 remain on track in the province.
“In the province so far so good, no cases. And they gave us the possibilities on what causes monkeypox. Maybe I can reflect on Covid-19, our transmissions are relatively down for a couple of days. They were standing at zero. Of course nationally and globally we are not yet out of the woods from Covid-19, but I think it is pretty under control because we are amongst the top four provinces, which have managed to vaccinate our population, more than 50%.”
