New monkeypox cases reported in South Africa

Xinhua News Agency, Johannesburg, May 13 (Reporter Wang Xiaomei) The Ministry of Health of South Africa confirmed on the 13th that there was a confirmed case of monkeypox in South Africa.

The Ministry of Health of South Africa issued a statement on the same day saying that the case was a 35 year old male living in Gauteng Province. He had no recent travel history to countries involved in monkeypox epidemic, but the test result on the 9th was positive.

The statement said that the case was first tested by the Lancet Laboratory in South Africa, and the South African National Institute of Infectious Diseases notified the South African Ministry of Health immediately after confirmation. The statement also said that the last reported case of monkeypox in South Africa was in August 2022.

In its statement, the South African Ministry of Health called on the South African public to remain vigilant. Forster Mohale, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua News Agency: "We urge the public to seek treatment immediately once monkeypox symptoms appear."

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis. Monkeypox virus can be transmitted from animals to humans through close contact. Although it is not easy to spread from person to person, it may also be infected in close contact with infected people. The initial symptoms of monkeypox infection in humans include fever, headache, muscle soreness, backache, swollen lymph nodes, etc., and then it can develop into a large skin rash on the face and body. Most infected people will recover within a few weeks, but some infected people are seriously ill or even die.