NewsDesk @bactiman63

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirms that a second case of monkeypox has been detected.

South Africa/CIA

The case involves a 32-year-old male residing in the Western Cape Province. He reports no recent travel history. Contact tracing has commenced in order to identify any other related cases of monkeypox in South Africa. Isolation of confirmed cases allows for the prevention of transmission and interruption of the cycle of transmission.  Currently, it is not known if the first and second cases are linked.

Monkeypox presents with 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 fully recovered. The risk to the general population is considered low, given the low transmissibility of the virus.