Category: Monkey Pox

The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Dr Michael Masiapato, has announced that port health officials have developed an outbreak preparedness plan to deal with Monkey Pox or Mpox.

In response to the 13 cases that have been confirmed by the National Department of Health, the BMA is implementing screening processes for travellers entering the country at all ports of entry.

Masiapato said at the airports, the first phase of screening occurs when the conveyance operator which is the captain of the aircraft and crew members provide a general declaration of health.

This is a document required to be completed by all conveyance operators where they declare that no travellers have reported or were found to be ill on board. This is in terms of International Health Regulations.

The Commissioner said the process that follows is where travellers are subjected to thermal screening for checking temperature.

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Source: South African Government News Agency

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BMA to screen travellers at ports amid 13 Mpox cases - African Travel and Tourism Association

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Health is urging South Africans to remain vigilant and seek immediate medical attention if they suspect any signs of the mpox virus - also known as monkey pox - after an infections rise in the country.

Since the outbreak in May, the country has recorded sixteen positive cases andthree deaths.

Some of the common symptoms of mpox include a rash that may last for two to four weeks, headache, fever, muscle aches and back pain.

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Mia Malan, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, said Mpox is not an airborne virus.

You essentially get it from those blisters on someone's skin. Those blisters contain fluid, and those fluids are loaded with the virus. So, in order to get mpox, you need to get in touch with those blisters.

She said those vaccinated against smallpox are less likely to contract mpox.

In South Africa, we vaccinated everyone against smallpox until 1980. So, if you are 45 years or older, youre likely to have been vaccinated against smallpox, and that vaccine makes you 85% less likely to be infected with the monkeypox virus.

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Health Dept urges SAns to seek medical attention if they suspect mpox symptoms - EWN

Health officials have issued an urgent warning after a highly infectious disease was detected in two states.

NSW Health confirmed three new locally acquired cases of mpox, formerly known as monkey pox, were detected in the state this week.

There were 69 mpox cases between May 2022 and January 2024, NSW Health said in a statement, but the three new cases are the first since January.

The new cases were confirmed this week and are related to current mpox outbreaks interstate, bringing the total number of mpox cases identified in NSW to 72.

NSW Health is urging 'gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to be on the lookout for symptoms of mpox following the recent detection of new cases'.

Executive Director of Health Protection, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, urged men who have sex with men to be vigilant for symptoms.

'Please see your GP or visit a sexual health clinic should symptoms develop,' Dr McAnulty said.

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'Mpox vaccine is recommended for all sexually active men who have sex with men, so get a vaccine if you haven't already been vaccinated.

'It is important to note two doses of vaccine are required, so anyone who has only received one dose should get a second dose at least 28 days after the first.'

The mpox vaccine is free, and a Medicare card is not needed to get it.

Three men, one in his 20s, one in his 30s and one in his 50s, have been diagnosed with the virus, as officials assuring that the risk to the general public is low.

This is due to transmission usually requiring prolonged, close or intimate contact.

Last year, there had been no cases in SA and only two in 2022 when the global outbreak occurred.

In 2024, there have been 67 cases of mpox in the country, with 45 of these cases reported in Victoria.

Mpox's name was changed due to claims it was stigmatising and racist.

Mpox is a viral infection that causes a rash, with symptoms including a fever, chills, exhaustion, headache, muscle aches and backache and swollen lymph nodes.

Symptoms can occur up to 21 days after exposure, with it being transmitted through prolonged or close skin-to-skin contact such as during sexual contact, contaminated items or surfaces.

An mpox vaccination is available, with free vaccines offered to eligible groups and all sexually active gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.

Communicable Disease Control Branch deputy director Dr Louise Flood is encouraging everyone who is eligible to get their vaccine.

'The Risk to the public is low. Mpox is not easily transmitted from person to person without prolonged close or intimate contact,' she said.

'If you do think you have mpox, seek medical advice and get tested.'

What is Mpox?

Mpox is a zoonosis, which is a virus or disease spread to humans from animals. This usually occurs in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa through contact with animals such as rodents, or eating wild game.

There is currently no evidence of spread from animals to humans in Australia.

This disease is spread mainly through direct contact with infected body fluids, lesions or scabs onto the skin. It's also spread through contact with respiratory droplets, such as sneezing, coughing, speaking or breathing.

In the 2022 outbreak, a large proportion of the cases affected men who were sexual active with other men.

Most cases of mpox are mild and can be left without medical treatment, with mild cases only needing paracetamol for the pain and to stay hydrated.

Individuals who are immune compromised are at greater risk of serious cases of mpox.

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Urgent warning to two Australian states as new cases of a highly infectious disease are detected - Daily Mail

The Department of Health has received the first batch of Mpox treatment just as the number of cases in South Africa increased to 13.

On Thursday evening, the department announced that it has received a batch of Mpox-specific treatment, Tecovirimat (also known as TPOXX or ST-246), for the treatment of patients who experience severe health complications as a result of Mpox disease.

The health department addedthat efforts are being made to secure more treatment, including vaccines, should the need arise.

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However, all mild cases will continue to be managed with supportive treatment used to manage complications like fever, pneumonia, and skin infections, said department spokesperson Foster Mohale.

As the department works to secure more treatment, it said that six more laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox (previously known as monkey pox) have been detected.

This brings the total number of cases in South Africa from seven to 13. Seven of the cases were confirmed in KwaZulu-Natal, five in Gauteng, and one in the Western Cape.

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ALSO READ: Community Chat: Are you taking extra precautions to avoid getting Mpox?

Two people have died from Mpox since the outbreak.

The department urges all people, regardless of gender, age, or sexual orientation, with suspected Mpox symptoms or who have had physical contact with known cases, to present themselves at a healthcare facility for clinical evaluation because anyone can contract this preventable and treatable disease, Mohale said.

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The health department added that good hand hygiene is one of the best ways to keep people healthy and stop the spread of illness. As a result, people are urged to always wash their hands with soap and water or sanitise their hands with an alcohol-based product, especially before eating or touching their faces and after using the toilet.

Here are some of the common symptoms of Mpox:

The painful rash looks like blisters or sores and can affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and groin.

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ALSO READ: Mpox cases rise to seven, all patients have chronic illnesses

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South Africa receives first Mpox treatment amid rising cases - The Citizen

POLITICS Five cases of Mpox in SA with one death reported Joe Phaahla

Joe Phaahla |

12 June 2024

Minister says all patients are males aged between 30-39 years without travel history to the countries currently experiencing an outbreak

MinisterJoe Phaahla onoutbreak of Mpox disease in South Africa and efforts to curb the spread

12 June 2024

A global outbreak of Mpox disease, formerly known as Monkey pox, has been ongoing since 2022. Mpox is a notifiable medical condition which the Health Care Workers are required to report all the suspected and confirmed cases. Notifiable Medical Conditions refer to diseases that are of public health importance because they pose significant public health risks that can result in disease outbreaks or disease epidemics with high case fatality rates both nationally and internationally.

The last time South Africa recorded positive cases of Mpox was in 2022 when five cases confirmed in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Gauteng, with no cases reported in 2023. According to the World Health Organization multi-country outbreak of mpox published on 31 May 2024, cumulatively from 01 January 2022 through 30 April 2024, a total of 97 208 laboratory confirmed cases of mpox, including 186 deaths from 117 countries in all six WHO regions were reported. A total of 528 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in April, which represents a 21.2% decline in the number of new cases reported during the preceding month of March, including retrospectively reported for previous months.

The most affected WHO regions, in order by number of laboratory-confirmed cases, were the Region of the Americas, the African Region, the European Region, the South-East Asia Region, and the Western Pacific Region.In the African Region, the DRC reported the most (99.6%) of the confirmed mpox cases in the reporting month.

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), an orthopoxvirus that transmits from person to person through close contact, and from unknown animal reservoirs in East, Central, and West Africa. This multi-country Mpox outbreak is characterised by sustained human-to-human transmission via direct skin-to-skin and sexual contact; people living with HIV are disproportionately affected.

South Africa is amongst the countries currently experiencing the outbreak of Mpox, a viral infection which spreads between people and occasionally from the environment to people via objects and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.

South Africa has recorded a total number of 5 laboratory-confirmed cases and one death. Two of these cases were confirmed in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal. The death that occurred is amongst the two cases reported in Gauteng. The patient passed-on on Monday, 10 June 2024 in Tembisa Hospital. All cases/patients are males aged between 30-39 years without travel history to the countries currently experiencing an outbreak, which suggests there is local transmission of this infectious disease in the country.

All five cases were classified severe cases as per WHO definition requiring hospitalisation. The cases have co-morbidities and have been identified as key populations,Men who have Sex with Men (MSM). Thus, the Department is reaching out to organisations working on HIV programmes and with key populations in addition to other stakeholders to implement targeted communication to intensify awareness about the outbreak and local transmission of the disease.

One patient has been discharged, one discharged for home isolation and follow ups being made. Two cases are still admitted in hospital. Sequencing analysis of three of the cases revealed mpox clade IIb, in keeping with the multi-country mpox outbreak which began in 2022.

Breakdown of the cases

Cases

Confirmation Date

Area/Province

Age

Hospitalised

Case 1

8 May 2024

Sedibeng, GP

35

Yes

Case 2

21 May 2024

eThekwini, KZN

39

Yes

Case 3

31 May 2024

eThekwini, KZN

30

Yes

Case 4

03 June 2024

eThekwini, KZN

33

Yes

Case 5

07 June 2024

Tembisa, GP

37

Yes

All National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) laboratories have been sensitised to the ongoing outbreak and are referring samples for testing to the NICD. Private sector laboratories are also testing for mpox while NICD serves as the reference laboratory. Since the beginning of 2024, the NICD has received twelve mpox test requests, with three testing positive. The other two cases were diagnosed by private laboratories.Guidelines have been updated and shared widely across networks of healthcare workers using various platform.

Epidemiology and Surveillance

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) continues with epidemiological and surveillance activities to identify cases for investigation to estimate the magnitude of disease through systematic data collection and analysis.A total of 38 contacts were identified in KwaZulu-Natal by the outbreak response teams. The contacts include household contacts (16), hospital contacts (10), partners/sexual partners (5) and friends (7). One of the cases indicated to have had sexual contact with multiple partners including both males and females.

Regarding the case notified on the 08 May 2024 in Gauteng, seven (07) contacts have been followed up for 21 days, and none showed any signs and symptoms of mpox. Regarding the case notified on the 07 June 2024, the line list of the identified contacts was developed, they will be monitored for symptoms for a period of 21 days. Attempts will be made to identify other additional contacts.

The provinces have been notifying all the cases that meet the case definition of a suspected mpox case in the Notifiable Medical Condition (NMC) System. Meanwhile, the Outbreak Response Team comprising of experts from the Department, provinces, NICD, WHO and other stakeholders in the health sector have embarked on contact tracing and case finding in the affected provinces.

Treatment

At the current moment, there is no registered treatment for Mpox in South Africa. However, the World Health Organization recommends the use of Tecovirimat (known as TPOXX) for treatment of severe cases, such as in individuals with a CD4 count of less than 350. However, the Department has obtainedTecovirimat via Section 21 SAPHRA approval on compassionate use basis for the five known patients with severe disease.

Three of the five cases had access to Tecovirimat treatment as advocated by the NICD. The drug was obtained via Section 21 and the SAPHRA approval process; and donated by the WHO. SAPHRA has since approved a request for a small stockpile of Tecovirimat which the WHO will support as a donation.Our intention is to obtain a stockpile of Tecovirimat treatment for rapid deployment in case the current situation leads to a wider outbreak. The stock will be donated by the World Health Organization.

As far as the vaccine is concerned, options are being considered as to which population groups should be targeted. South Africa is trying to source vaccine from WHO member countries who have stockpiles that exceed their needs as well as from GAVI. These vaccines will be stored and distributed from our provincial depots.

Additional intervention is being considered, as National Advisory Group for Immunisation (NAGI) Technical Working Group for Mpox vaccines has been appointed and is considering mpox vaccine for both pre and post-exposure administration for high-risk groups, including but not limited to sex workers, men-who-have-sex-with-men, healthcare workers and laboratory workers.

Risk Communications

The Department working together with partner organisations, has intensified both targeted and public awareness using various channels of communications to empower the citizens with crucial information related to Mpox to make well informed health decisions. As part of additional efforts to increase opportunity for engagement, a clinical management webinar has been convened and was attended by five-hundred healthcare workers and public health professionals from across the country.

However, the most important intervention at present remains risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), which is being implemented, including addressing the high-risk population without discriminating to avoid stigma. We are also reaching out to organisations working with the HIV programmes and key populations such as the MSM to reach their members since they fall under the category of people at risk.

Although, the World Health Organization has not recommended any travel restrictions, it is important for travellers to and from endemic countriesto alert health officials on the situation to enable them to provide guidance for case detection and management.We can prevent further spread of this infectious disease if those with suspected symptoms or who were in contact with known cases/patients present themselves at health care facilities on time for early diagnosis and effective treatment.

We can disrupt the local transmission by supporting those diagnosed with this disease to take their treatment to prevent infecting others.We can prevent avoidable deaths by cooperating with health officials when they conduct contact tracing and case finding.

One death is too many, especially from a preventable and manageable disease like mpox.

I thank you.

Issued by Department of Health, 12 June 2024

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Five cases of Mpox in SA with one death reported Joe Phaahla - POLITICS - Politicsweb

A total of eight people have so far succumbed to the deadly Monkey Pox disease in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to Dr. Claude Bahizire, communications officer at the Provincial Health Division (DPS), a total of 823 cases of Monkey pox have been recorded in the province since October last year.

He told reporters during a press briefing on Saturday that the situation is moer and more worrying.

The situation is becoming more and more difficult. Every week, we record 70 to 80 cases of Monkeypox. For the moment, all 34 health zones in South Kivu are already affected, Dr. Claude Bahizire explained.

Dr. Bahizire said that the most affected area is Mwenga with 519 cases recorded there. Then followed by the health zone of Nyangezi with 101 cases recorded.

Residents in the province have been urged to improve their hygiene measures to protect themselves against this contagious disease.

The first case of Monkey pox in South Kivu Province was confirmed on October 11, 2023.

Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.

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Over 800 Cases of Monkey Pox Recorded in South Kivu - Taarifa Rwanda

Queensland Health told the ABC that the state had recorded its biggest cluster of the virus, but it is not linked to an outbreak found in Victoria last month.

Victoria had recorded 16 confirmed cases of mpox since 18 April, with 13 of these cases locally acquired.

Seventy cases of mpox were recorded in Victoria in 2022, before the yearly total fell to eight in 2023.

The eight cases in Queensland are all linked, with authorities now contact tracing to locate potentially more people with the disease.

High risk groups in Queensland such as sex workers are eligible for free vaccines through sexual health clinics and GPs.

Mpox spreads from person to person through close contact with skin lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated objects such as bedding or clothes.

The disease can present as a mild illness with symptoms similar to influenza such as fever, headache or swelling of the lymph nodes.

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Between one-to-three days after fever, a rash develops on the face which then can spread to other parts of the body.

Mpox was first reported in Australia May 2022.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 23 July 2022.

On 28 July 2022, Australias Chief Medical Officer declared monkeypox to be a communicable disease Incident of national significance

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Eight cases of monkey pox in Queensland - race is on to find the source of cluster - InQueensland

The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has issued a call for public vigilance following the countrys first laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox since August 2022.

THE MINISTER of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has issued a call for public vigilance following the countrys first laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox (Mpox) since August 2022.

The patient, a 35-year-old male from the Gauteng province, tested positive for the disease on May 9, 2024.

The initial testing was conducted by Lancet Laboratory and later confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which promptly notified the department.

Mpox is a rare viral infectious disease in humans caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Although not highly transmissible from person to person, the virus has gained global public health significance and it has the potential to cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. While most people fully recover, some can become very ill.

Preliminary investigations and case findings reveal that the Gauteng patient has no recent travel history to countries currently experiencing an outbreak of the disease.

Both the national and Gauteng departments of Health are actively managing the situation in accordance with protocol and national guidelines. Contact tracing is ongoing to identify any additional linked cases of Mpox in South Africa.

Since 2023, there has been an ongoing Mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), primarily due to a distinct MPXV clade I. This clade is characterised by its high virulence and has a higher fatality rate than the global outbreak-associated clade II.

Transmission of MPXV clade I is mostly observed among heterosexual individuals through sexual transmission, particularly among female sex workers.

A new variant of the MPXV, named clade 1b, emerged during epidemiological week 16 of 2024 (April 14-20, 2024) in Kamituga, a mining enclave within the DRC. This variant exhibits heightened transmissibility, mainly through sexual contact, raising concerns about its potential to cause a pandemic.

Mpox presents as an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin. The disease is rarely fatal and cases typically resolve within two to four weeks. Most cases do not require hospital treatment. Prevention of infection hinges on the isolation of cases until the patient is fully recovered.

The risk to the general population is considered low, given the low transmissibility of the virus. The last reported cases of Mpox in South Africa were in August 2022.

The World Health Organization recommends increasing vigilance for cases with contact tracing and the monitoring of laboratory-confirmed cases. Isolation of confirmed cases allows for the prevention of transmission and interruption of the cycle of transmission.

Circulation of the MPXV in humans may be eliminated through this classic containment approach. Mass vaccination against the MPXV is not currently recommended.

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Health minister calls for vigilance after positive case of monkey pox - DFA

Photo showing the dorsal surfaces of a monkeypox case in a patient who was displaying the appearance of the characteristic rash during its recuperative stage. Photo: AFP

25,318 suspected cases of monkey pox, including 1,204 deaths, have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the declaration of monkey pox outbreak in December 2022.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

According to the latest report, the outbreak, which was declared by the DRC Health Ministry on Dec. 16, 2022, was prompted by a notable surge in cases and fatalities associated with monkey pox as well as a fast spread to non-endemic provinces.

Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 5,133 suspected cases, including 321 deaths, have been reported, according to the WHO report. It warns that the current situation of the outbreak in the DRC is of grave concern due to the sustained increase in suspected cases compared to previous years.

It added that with a significant burden in younger populations, particularly children under 15 years of age, who constitute the majority of both suspected cases and deaths.

In April 2024, a high-level emergency regional meeting on monkey pox in Africa was convened in DRC capital Kinshasa, gathering 12 health ministers of regional countries, aiming to develop common strategies to prevent and intervene effectively in the face of monkey pox in Africa.

We must prevent the DRC from becoming the source of cross-border transmission, and our partnership must prioritise the health of those affected, said Jean Kaseya, the director general of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) at the meeting.

Over the years, monkey pox has become a real public health problem for our communities in the DRC, a regional threat and ultimately a global problem.

We must now mobilise to resolve this crisis, said Roger Kamba, DRC minister of public health, hygiene and prevention, said at the meeting.

Monkey pox, first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958, is assumed to be transmitted from wild animals such as rodents to people or from human to human (Xinhua/NAN)

The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.

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WHO expresses concern over monkey pox outbreak in DR Congo National Accord Newspaper - National Accord

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