The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Services, confirmed that the third case of monkeypox in the country, identified through laboratory testing at the NICD, was reported, this time in Limpopo Province.

The first case was reported on 22 June this year and involved a 30-year-old male from Gauteng, while the second case, reported on 28 June, involved a 32-year-old male from the Western Cape Province. None of them had a recent travel history.

On Sunday, 10 July, Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba announced that her province’s first case had been confirmed by the NICD. The case involves a 42-year-old male tourist from Switzerland who is holidaying in Limpopo. The man is said to have shown signs and symptoms of the disease, such as rash, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), muscle ache and fatigue. 

Ramathuba called on the public not to panic. “We are calling for calm. We can confirm that the case is an outpatient, currently isolating and requiring no admission. The department has already sent officials to follow [up on] the case. Three contacts have already been identified and none of them has developed signs thus far.”

The department encourages those who interact with a lot of people in their line of work to continue wearing masks, even though the Covid-19 protocols have been relaxed.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, with similar symptoms to smallpox, but milder. Monkeypox is rarely fatal, and cases usually resolve within two to four weeks, the NICD said. People who contract the virus typically present with an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin.

“Most cases do not require hospital treatment. Prevention of infection hinges on the isolation of cases until fully recovered. The risk to the general population is considered low, given the low transmissibility of the virus,” the NICD said.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus is spread through close contact with people, animals or material infected with the virus. It enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, the eyes, nose and mouth.