South Africa has tragically recorded its first death from Mpox, with a 37-year-old man succumbing to the viral infection. The Health Minister confirmed this news on Wednesday, revealing that there have been five laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease in the past month.
During a news conference, Health Minister Joe Phaahla disclosed that the man passed away at Tembisa Hospital on Monday. He further mentioned that four other individuals are currently receiving treatment for the illness.
“All cases/patients are males aged between 30-39 years without travel history to the countries currently experiencing an outbreak, which suggests there is local transmission of this infectious disease in the country,” the minister said.
Mpox spreads through close contact. It can give flu-like symptoms and make pus-filled sores. Most people who get it just feel a bit unwell, but it can be deadly.
In South Africa, those who got infected are men between 30 and 39 years old. They didn’t travel to places where Mpox is spreading. This suggests that the illness is spreading locally, according to Phaahla.
Phaahla also said that one person has left the hospital, one is at home, and two are still in the hospital.
Even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t said to avoid travelling, people who go to or come from places where Mpox is common should tell health workers. This helps them find and treat cases of Mpox better.