1st Case of Monkeypox Detected In South Africa, Patient Did Not Travel Abroad

• Dr Joe Phaahla, the Minister of Health says South Africa now has its first case of monkeypox which was found in Gauteng
• The 30-year-old man resides in Johannesburg, Gauteng told officials that he does not have any travel history
• South Africans are not happy about the news of monkeypox and feel that the government is lying to them

JOHANNESBURG - The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla recently reported that the first case of monkeypox has been detected in South Africa.

During a media briefing on the updated Covid19 regulations, Phaahla stated that a 30-year-old man from Johannesburg, Gauteng was diagnosed with the disease. The man indicated to officials that he had not recently travelled abroad.

Phaahla explained that the department has already begun the process of contact tracing, according to Reuters.

Read also

'Diamond and Dolls' star Eva Modika shows off brand new R65K body with steamy pictures: "Ain’t no miles here"

Monkeypox is a disease that presents itself with flu-like symptoms and causes skin lesions. The disease is endemic in parts of Africa. The disease is normally spread through very close contact.

Monkeypox has been spreading in many Western countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, reports News24.

South Africans react

@realvigosa23 said:

"Just after lifting the mask mandate, they are already on the next pandemic. We not buying these stories anymore... I mean is Covid not deadly anymore, is it not mutating anymore? It just decided to go away and make way for monkeypox "

@Lipra_LM said:

"What a coincidence. "

@funkyngwenya said:

"Ohh boy here we go again let me guess the person came from Europe."

Read also

No more masks in indoor gatherings for Mzansi says Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, South Africans react

@lynne_cpt021 said:

"They didn't even wait for a week to just build up the lie."

@thamy_cebecool said:

"Makes sense why y’all moving away from COVID-19, y’all got a new pandemic in town for us."

@BushyBrows6 said:

"There was no way our government was gon let monkeypox pass us by. Another scheme to loan money and loot it amongst themselves."

What is monkeypox and should South Africans be concerned about a possible outbreak?

Briefly News previously reported that monkeypox is a virus that is closely related to diseases such as chickenpox, cowpox and smallpox and is normally transmitted from animals to human beings. The name monkeypox was first adopted in 1958 after research monkeys were found to have the disease.

Scientists believe African rodents are responsible for the transmission of the virus and monkeys are not considered to be major carriers of the disease or responsible for the transmission of the virus to humans.

Read also

Thuli Phongolo's R20K per hour booking fee causes a stir online: "All that for her to play a pre recorded mix"

The monkeypox virus belongs to a subset of the Poxviridae family of viruses called Orthopoxvirus, according to News24.

Source: Briefly News