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A pupil has tested negative for mpox. (iStock)
- The Grade One pupil from Hammanskraal has tested negative for mpox.
- The Gauteng Education Department last week confirmed that a pupil had been tested for mpox after displaying symptoms.
- The country has not recorded any new cases of mpox for the last week.
The Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed that the Grade 1 pupil from Hammanskraal who was tested for mpox, has tested negative for the viral disease.
The Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane said in a statement last week that a Grade 1 girl pupil was diagnosed with mpox after her parents reported to the school on Tuesday that she had been taken to hospital after displaying symptoms.
The statement was later retracted, saying the results of the suspected mpox case must be verified by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Department of Health (DoH) first.
“We acknowledge that the announcement of any confirmed cases should be made by the NICD and the DoH following thorough testing and verification,” it added.
According to the Health Department, the negative test was determined following a decision to collect samples for laboratory testing at the NCID.
READ |Mpox: Gauteng education department retracts statement on case at Hammanskraal school
“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,” said Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale.
“Working together as communities and health authorities, we can prevent unnecessary panic and avoidable stigma.”
The department added that the country has not recorded any new cases of mpox for the 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, and 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,” added Mohale.
