PODCAST | SA has adequate measures in place to prevent a monkeypox outbreak: Expert

Professor Veronica Ueckermann, Acting Head of Infectious Disease at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, says South Africa has adequate measures in place to prevent the spread of the monkeypox outbreak.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed on Monday that there are no monkeypox cases in the country at the moment.

Ueckermann says, “The alert has been sounded, the case definition form is out, so there is an NICD form that has been circulated on many platforms to healthcare workers. The surveillance is there.”

She says authorities are doing enough to prevent its spread.

“So we had many more cases before this was flagged at the WHO level. The number of cases we are looking at now and there has been an alert rate, quick reporting, there is quick reporting of cases, there is extensive investigation. I think at this stage everybody is doing enough. The NICD has sent out a case detection form where there are typical symptoms, and who to contact if they think there are symptoms as a health professional. So I think there is an adequate response thus far.”

Below is the full interview with Prof Veronica Ueckermann:

Sixteen countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Canary Islands, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, have reported cases.

The majority of cases are mild, with lesions on the genitalia or peri-genital areas. Rashes, fever, painful lymph nodes, and oral ulcers are also symptoms.