The National Health Department has confirmed that the Grade 1 learner from Hammanskraal, who was a suspected case of mpox, tested negative for the 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,” said Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale.
He said the country had 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. 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,” Mohale said.
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.
Mohale said most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
The total number of positive cases remains at 22 since the beginning of the outbreak of this infectious disease. This includes 16 recoveries, three deaths and three active cases.
The department said the current outbreak of mpox disease (also known as monkeypox) remains under control, despite a number of suspected cases reported across the country due to increased awareness and surveillance activities.
The Star