South Africa’s Limpopo province recorded the country’s third case of monkeypox after a 42-year-old Swiss tourist was found to be carrying the virus, a senior health official confirmed on Tuesday.
Limpopo provincial health minister Phophi Ramathuba said the Swiss patient, who was on holiday in the province, showed signs and symptoms of the diseases such as “rash, lymphadenopathy, muscle ache and fatigue.”
He has since been isolated and getting treatment, she said.
“We are calling for calm. We can confirm that the case is an outpatient, currently isolating and requires no admission,” Ramathuba said.
According to the regional minister, her office had sent officials to follow up on the case.
“Three contacts have already been identified and none of them has developed signs thus far,” she said.
The case comes after the National Institute of Communicable Diseases detected the first two cases of monkeypox in June.
Three people have died from 6,027 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 59 countries from 1 January to 4 July 2022 worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.
NM/jn/APA