Flu cases on the rise, second case of Mpox detected

A number of flu strains are circulating in South Africa, the most common being A(H1N1) pdm09, previously known as “swine flu”, the health department says.

This is followed by influenza B/Victoria and influenza A(H3N2).

The influenza A virus is more severe in adults.

Citing National Institute for Communicable Diseases surveillance data, the department said: "Numbers of influenza cases and positivity rates are increasing rapidly, but the transmission and impact remain at a moderate level of activity for both outpatient and hospitalised cases.

"This means while there is a lot of influenza circulating, it is still within the expected range for a normal influenza season.

"About 8% to 10% of patients hospitalised for pneumonia and 25% of patients with flu-like illness (fever and cough) will test positive for influenza during the flu season."

High-risk groups are being encouraged to get the flu jab. These include:

• pregnant women (including six weeks after delivery);
• individuals living with HIV;
• those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, tuberculosis, heart disease, renal disease and obesity; and
• the elderly.

"Ideally the influenza vaccine should be administered prior to the start of the influenza season because it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop after vaccination, but it is not too late for people to get it to protect themselves and their loved ones against the viruses," the department said.

"Non-pharmaceutical interventions — such as covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, enough ventilation and regular handwashing with water and soap/sanitiser — can help to minimise the spread of the disease."

The country has recorded the second laboratory-confirmed case of Mpox disease, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus with the potential to cause a painful or itchy rash like pimples or blisters.

The department is also urging people who experience suspected symptoms of Mpox disease to visit their nearest healthcare provider for screening and testing to ensure early diagnosis and effective treatment to prevent further spread of the disease.

The new patient is a 39-year-old male who was admitted at Addington Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, without travel history to countries and regions experiencing an outbreak of the disease.

The first case was confirmed in Gauteng earlier this month.

According to the World Health Organisation, 466 laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox and three deaths from 22 countries were reported globally in March. In Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported the highest number of confirmed positive cases, which represent just over a tenth of the suspected (clinically compatible) cases and deaths reported.

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