​Gauteng residents have been urged to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from the Mpox virus. 
The province has reported seven (7) cases, of a more severe variant, after six (6) months of not reporting any new cases. All the cases are from the Ekurhuleni District in Brakpan, Vosloorus and Katlehong. Of the 7 cases, three (3) are females and four (4) were males including a 14-year-old teenager. 
These individuals presented with symptoms including genital sores, painful groin, scrotal pain, headache, and pustules on the face, palm and sole, fever, chills, rash covering the face, arms, legs, genitals, thorax, soles of hands and feet, fever, and lesions on the body, mouth, face, thorax, arms, legs, genitals, soles of hand and feet, as well as flu-like symptoms.  
Unlike the previous outbreaks that happened in 2022 and 2024 where the circulating clade was clade II which has a lower mortality rate and less virulence, the recent cases reported in the province all tested positive for clade I which is highly infectious with a mortality rate of 10%. 
This variant has spread widely in African regions such as the DRC, Rwanda and Kenya. 
Communities are reminded that Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has the virus, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin such as touching or sexual intercourse, and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact and can also include being face-to-face with someone who has mpox. 
In response to this outbreak, the GDoH has coordinated  bi-weekly outbreak response meetings and shared with the district the facility readiness checklist to ensure the availability and treatment and laboratory consumables. Both the Provincial and District outbreak teams have been activated and nurses have been trained to distinguish symptoms of Mpox. 
Most of the new cases were discovered through contact tracing which shows the effectiveness of the response approach.
The newer clade affects all genders and communities are urged to seek medical attention should they experience symptoms associated with the Mpox virus.
The GDoH together with the World Health Organisation on Tuesday, 1 April 2025 hosted a webinar to educate the public and individuals about the implications of the new variant and importance of continued vigilance.