LISTEN | Health department confirms second Mpox death
Image: Freddy Mavunda/Business Day
A second person has died after contracting Mpox, the department of health confirmed on Thursday morning.
The department said the latest death was recorded in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
“The latest case is a 38-year-old male who was admitted at a hospital in uMgungundlovu,” spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
“He tested positive for Mpox on Wednesday, after presenting with extensive lesions, headache, fatigue, oral ulcers, muscle pain and sore throat. The patient unfortunately died the same day his test results came back positive.
“This brings the total number of positive cases in the country from five to six, and deaths [to two].”
Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla confirmed the first Mpox death and recorded cases during a briefing held on Wednesday. According to the minister, the first fatality was at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng.
The patient who died lived in Gauteng and though he was originally from KwaZulu-Natal, he had not been home since December.
All patients are males aged between 30 and 39 without a travel history to countries experiencing an outbreak, which suggests there is local transmission of Mpox in South Africa.
Phaahla said the department is considering Mpox vaccines for pre- and post-exposure administration for high-risk groups and looking into which population groups should be targeted.
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