JOHANNESBURG: South Africa on Thursday reported its first case of monkeypox, becoming a member of some 40 different nations which have recognized sufferers with the illness.
“The affected person is a 30-year-old male from Johannesburg who has no journey historical past, that means that this can’t be attributed to having been acquired outdoors South Africa,” Well being Minister Joe Phaahla instructed a information convention.
“Working with the related well being authorities, a technique of contact tracing has begun.”
Preliminary signs of monkeypox sometimes embody a excessive fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery, chickenpox-like rash.
The illness is normally delicate and sufferers usually get better after two or three weeks.
The World Well being Organisation mentioned final week that Europe remained the epicentre of the worldwide monkeypox outbreak.
The UN well being physique is because of maintain an emergency assembly on Thursday to find out whether or not to categorise the worldwide monkeypox outbreak as a public well being emergency of worldwide concern.