Pietermaritzburg residents have been urged not to panic following the confirmation of a mpox case involving a 40-year-old man who is being treated at Northdale Hospital.

According to The Witness, this is the second mpox case reported in KZN since January.

Patient presented with fever and rash

According to the KZN Department of Health, the man from the uMgungundlovu District presented with symptoms including fever, rash and headache.

“He initially presented at Eastboom Clinic on October 16 with symptoms consistent with mpox, including fever, rash, headache and muscle pain. He was immediately transferred to Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg for further assessment and isolation.

“A specimen collected on October 21 was sent to the NICD for testing, where mpox infection was confirmed,” said the department in a statement.

Contacts under monitoring

The department’s director of environmental health and communicable disease control, Babongile Mhlongo, said in a video statement that two cases have been recorded in KZN so far this year.

“We are monitoring the contacts of this case, and we want to inform the community that they are not presenting with any symptoms. However, we will continue to monitor them for the next 21 days,” said Mhlongo.

Health officials urge calm

The department has assured the public that there is no cause for alarm.

“Mpox is a rare viral illness that spreads primarily through close physical contact with an infected person. Health workers are well prepared to manage such cases, and all necessary infection prevention and control measures have been implemented,” the statement reads.

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