Johannesburg, South Africa – The Government of South Africa has announced an outbreak of Mpox, a zoonotic viral disease, following the confirmation of a case in Gauteng province with no travel history to countries with active Mpox outbreaks.
As of June 14, 2024, seven laboratory-confirmed cases and two deaths have been reported in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape provinces. All cases are male, between 30 and 39 years old, HIV-positive, and five are identified as men who have sex with men.
The Ministry of Health has deployed rapid response teams to support further investigations, and contacts of the confirmed cases are being monitored for 21 days. Active case search, case management, and risk communication are ongoing in affected communities.
The Director General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has commended the South African government’s efforts in managing the outbreak and pledged support in securing Mpox vaccines and building capacity for event-based surveillance.
Since January 2024, seven African countries have reported Mpox, with 8,401 cases and 412 deaths, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa CDC has called for swift and urgent action to increase access to Mpox diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics for all affected African countries.
Mpox can be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or humans and has a Case Fatality Ratio of 0-11% in the general population. The outbreak has highlighted the need for strengthened preparedness and response to Mpox in Africa, with emphasis on cross-border integrated disease surveillance and coordinated supply of medical countermeasures.
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