South Africa has recorded its first confirmed death from Mpox, announced Health Minister Joe Phaahla. A 37-year-old man succumbed to the virus on Monday after being hospitalized in Gauteng province for three days.
Minister Phaahla stated that all five Mpox cases recorded in the country this year, including another in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal, have been severe, necessitating hospitalization.
These cases involve men aged 30 to 39 who had not traveled to other countries experiencing outbreaks, indicating local transmission.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, spreads through close contact. Initial symptoms include fever, headaches, swelling, back pain, and muscle aches, which can progress to a rash.
Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency over Mpox in 2022, which ended last year, sporadic cases continue to be reported globally.
“One death is too many, especially from a preventable and manageable disease,” Phaahla emphasized, urging individuals with symptoms to seek medical attention and assist in contact tracing.
All five diagnosed patients had pre-existing immuno-deficiencies and contracted the disease since the beginning of May. Two patients have been discharged, while two remain hospitalized. Contacts of the deceased are being monitored for 21 days.
The first human case of Mpox was documented in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, where the disease remains endemic, according to the WHO.
