The World Health Organisation (WHO) has suggested men should limit their number of sexual partners, with monkeypox cases continuing to increase rapidly. 

Days after the organisation declared monkeypox a global emergency,  director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said the number of cases was spreading globally and there were more cases reported among men who had same-sex partners.

Ghebreyesus made the comments this week at a news briefing.

He said 98% of monkeypox cases were reported in men who have sex with men.

He said this was an outbreak that can be stopped if countries, communities and individuals take the risks seriously by staying informed and protecting themselves from the virus.

“The best way to do that is to reduce the risk of exposure. That means making safe choices for yourself and others. For men who have sex with men, this includes reducing your number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners, and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if needed.”

Ghebreyesus stressed that anyone exposed to monkeypox can get it.

“WHO recommends that countries take action to reduce the risk of transmission to other vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women and those who are immunosuppressed.

“In addition to the transmission through sexual contact, monkeypox can be spread in households through close contact between people such as hugging, kissing and on contaminated towels or bedding,” said Ghebreyesus. 

In SA, there have been three confirmed monkeypox cases reported, with no deaths.

The cases reported were from Gauteng, the Western Cape and Limpopo and were men aged 30, 32 and 42 respectively.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said no secondary cases have been linked to the three and no new laboratory-confirmed case has been reported since the last case on July 10.

“Though the risk of monkeypox to the public is considered low, healthcare workers should be on high alert and maintain a high index of suspicion for anyone presenting with an unexplained acute rash or skin lesions and one or more of the following symptoms: headache, acute onset of fever more than 38.5°C, swollen lymph nodes, muscle or body aches and backache,” said the institute.

NICD said chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, syphilis, molluscum contagiosum, allergic reactions and other locally relevant common cause of papular or vesicular rash were excluded from the differential diagnoses.