As monkeypox (Mpox) spreads across the country, with the Department of Health confirming 22 people having contracted the disease and three fatalities, clinical executive from Bonitas Medical Fund, Dr Themba Hadebe, debunked myths related to the disease.
This as misinformation has been spreading wildly, about Mpox being laboratory created and only being found in monkeys.
According to the World Health (WHO), Mpox is an orthopoxvirus, hence, it presents symptoms similar to smallpox.
It is a communicable disease transmitted from animals to humans. Although Mpox is transmitted from a different species of monkeys, it is fairly contractible from squirrels, door mice and Gambian pouched rats.
Mpox is easily transmitted through person-to-person contact despite the myth that it is only transmittable through sexual intercourse.
Hadebe explained, “You can become infected through close, direct contact with the lesions, rash, scabs or certain bodily fluids of someone who has Mpox. Even though this could imply transmission through sexual activity, it is not limited to that. You can also be exposed if you are in close physical proximity to infected people, such as spouses or young children who sleep in the same bed.”
Mpox symptoms may be mistaken for flu or fever. However, they come in stages, where a fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes occur first, followed by a rash which spreads all over the body and palms for 2-4 weeks, said Hadebe.
The WHO states that Mpox related deaths are rare, with 0 to 11% being documented, mainly among young children.
“Mpox infections are rarely fatal. That said, symptoms can be severe in some patients, needing hospitalisation and, in rare cases, result in death,” said Hadebe.
Is Mpox easily treatable? Hadebe cited the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), saying there was no registered treatment for the disease. However, the WHO recommends TPOXX, an antiviral drug stockpiled for smallpox preparedness, for severe cases in immuno-compromised people.
“The Department of Health has only obtained this treatment, with approval on a compassionate use basis for the five known patients with severe disease,” said Hadebe.
As with Covid-19 precautions, Hadebe urged individuals to refrain from handling objects used by infected persons and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for an Mpox patient; disinfect surfaces and practise safe sex.