The Western Cape Health Department says there is no need for panic after a Monkeypox case was detected in a 32-year-old man Cape Town man.
The man has no travel history and health authorities have urged locals to be vigilant.
The first Monkeypox case in the country was detected in a man from Gauteng last week.
Western Cape Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo says, “At least with monkeypox compared to smallpox to which we were vaccinated against is not as contagious even the death rate is not as high, I think its about 1%. However, as we all know with these viruses, normally they are replicating or changing when it goes from population to population.”
VIDEO: Western Cape Health Department says there is no need to panic
On Wednesday, the National Health Department said there is no need to impose any regulations following the confirmation of the second case.
Last week, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases urged the government to reimpose some regulations introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to keep track of the spread of Monkeypox.
The Deputy Minister of Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said people should practice good personal hygiene.
“We always listen to the guide of the WHO whether there should be new regulations, travel ban on the outbreak of Monkeypox. So far, there is no such announcement by the WHO. It calls upon all of us to really stick to personal hygiene because the Monkeypox spread by close physical contact, if you avoid that you are unlikely to get Monkeypox.”
Executive Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases Professor Adrian Puren explains Monkeypox:
