Dylan Bettencourt
South Africa’s second case of monkeypox has no link to the first case.
This was confirmed by the Department of Health, which said a second case of monkeypox has been diagnosed in a 32-year-old male from Cape Town.
Both he and the first case, a 30-year-old male from Johannesburg, have no travel history.
The department’s deputy minister, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said there may be local transmission issues.
“There is no history of the two cases being linked yet and there is no history of these two having travelled outside of the country,” said Dhlomo.
“We suppose there may be someone else in the country who may have travelled outside of the country which we have not picked up through the tests or through symptoms,” the minister told Eyewitness News.
The department confirmed that monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and has less severe symptoms.
“It is a very mild disease, it is self-limiting, and it shows by skin lesions and there may be some headaches and fever,” Dhlomo said.
In terms of prevention, the minister advised individuals with skin lesions to avoid contact with other people.
“Stick to your personal hygiene, don’t hug and shake hands when there are some skin lesions on your hands or body,” he said.
He urged South Africans to remain cautious of the disease and visit a clinic for testing if they spot any suspicious body lesions or blisters.
Image source: @CBC
