The Department of Health would like to announce that the grade one learner from Hammanskraal who a suspected case of Mpox has tested negative for this viral disease. This follows the decision by the Department last week to collect samples for laboratory testing at the National Institute for Communicable Disease.
The public is urged to report to a healthcare facility when they experience any suspicious symptoms related to Mpox, instead of self-diagnosing and isolating without laboratory confirmation. Working together as communities and health authorities, we can prevent unnecessary panic and avoidable stigma.
The country has not recorded any new cases of Mpox for last week, and this confirms that the situation is under control. However, this does not mean that we are off the hook or should lower our guard, and we cannot guarantee at the current moment that this infectious disease has been eradicated and because it may re-emerge once severe cases present for healthcare.
Mpox symptoms include an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
For more information about Mpox and live Mpox case statistics, click here.
