SOUTH AFRICA – Two people have died, and six have tested positive for Monkeypox (Mpox) in the country.
Before going to print, Highveld Chronicle established that the infectious disease had already claimed two lives. One in Gauteng on June 10, and another in KwaZulu-Natal on June 13.
The latest death occurred just a day after Health Minister Joe Phaahla’s media briefing session in Pretoria on June 12, where he confirmed the first death.
Mpox is transmitted through physical contact, and symptoms include an unexplained acute rash and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, acute fever, headache, muscle and body aches, and low energy.
The minister urged the public to get tested if they suspect any of these symptoms. “I must indicate, as we communicate with the public, that individuals who suspect they have had contact with someone with the disease and have shown symptoms of skin lesions and rash should approach the nearest health facility for testing,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Mpox is a viral illness caused by the Monkeypox virus, a species of the genus orthopoxvirus.
“The latest patient who succumbed to the disease was a 38-year-old man who tested positive for Mpox on Wednesday after being admitted to a local hospital in KwaZulu-Natal with extensive lesions, lymphadenopathy, headache, fatigue, oral ulcers, muscle aches, and sore throat,” said Foster Mohale, a department spokesperson.
“The patient unfortunately died on the same day his test results came back positive,” Mohale added, noting that the patient was living with HIV.
The department has already begun investigating to establish the source of the latest cases and deaths to prevent the disease from spreading further.
