Health authorities in Limpopo on Monday rubbished allegations of mpox disease being confirmed and spreading within the province.
Provincial Department of Health spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana said reports are entirely untrue.
“The Limpopo Department of Health would like to address and dispel the recent reports circulating in the media, regarding a confirmed case of mpox in Ba-Phalaborwa. The department can confirm that these reports are entirely untrue,” said Shikwambana.
“There has been no confirmed cases of Mpox in Ba-Phalaborwa or anywhere in Limpopo province so far. We urge the public and the media to refrain from spreading misinformation that can cause unnecessary panic and fear among the community.”
The provincial health authorities have warned against the spreading on unverified information.
“We urge the media to verify information with the department, prior to publishing such claims, as a deviation from this norm amounts to irresponsible journalism,” said Shikwambana.
“It is crucial to rely on verified sources of information and trust the expertise of health officials in situations like these.”
The Limpopo Department of Health ensured residents across the province that it is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates promptly if there are any developments around the disease.
Last week, Pretoria News reported that there has been at least three laboratory-confirmed mpox cases in the City of Tshwane, citing Health MMC, Dr Rina Marx.
She expressed concern about the prevalence of mpox in the city, calling for greater awareness about the importance of contact tracing to curb the infections.
“All Tshwane cases have been locally transmitted with no recorded travel history. The pronouncement by the national Department of Health of an outbreak of mpox in South Africa remains in effect as there are 20 confirmed cases nationally and 10 in Gauteng,” she said.
People suspecting that they might have contracted mpox must understand the importance of full disclosure to health authorities, close contacts and partners, she said.
This is because, mpox is a notifiable medical condition owing to its transmissibility and public health impact, Marx added.
IOL