South Africa Records First Monkeypox Case

South Africa has confirmed a case of monkeypox the second non-endemic country in Africa after Morocco to do so.

The country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, NICD has confirmed that the case identified involves a 30 year old man residing in the Gauteng province.

Contact tracing has begun the infected person has no recent travel history.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control, CDC there has been a significant increase in the spread of the monkeypox virus on the continent.

Acting Director of Africa CDC, Dr. Ahmed Ogwell said there had been a 38% increase in suspected cases and a 12% increase in confirmed cases of monkeypox in the past week.

The World Health Organization, WHO is expected to make an important announcement on whether to declare monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.

The WHO is also working towards renaming the virus in order to reduce to stigmatisation associated with it and its link to Africa.

BBC/CO