A 40-year-old man from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, died on Sunday, marking the third Mpox death in the country.
According to the National Department of Health, the deceased had Mpox-like symptoms, including rash all over his body.
The department issued a statement, saying the man had not been admitted to a hospital. However, he died at home after he tested positive for Mpox.
Confirmed cases rise to 16
Foster Mohale, the national health spokesperson, said the confirmed number of cases in the country was 16. This dates from the outbreak of the disease in May.
“Two more cases were confirmed in Gauteng. A 43-year-old man was diagnosed on Saturday at a private health facility in Johannesburg. Another man, aged 29 years, was diagnosed at a Mamelodi health facility on Friday last week.
“This brings the country to 16 confirmed cases. We recorded three more positive cases of Mpox since the outbreak of the disease in May,” said Mohale.
Eight cases come from KwaZulu-Natal, seven cases come from Gauteng, and one case comes from the Western Cape. The high fatality rate suggests that the epidemic is likely to be considerably larger than is officially understood.
Those who are at high risk
Although the disease may affect anyone, the agency disclosed that men who have sexual intercourse with other men are more likely to be affected. This according to their records.
Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has taken measures to screen visitors to the country. Dr Michael Masiapato, BMA commissioner, said port health professionals have created an outbreak readiness plan. The plan details the reaction for handling the Monkeypox (Mpox) outbreak.
Masiapato said BMA has put in place screening procedures for visitors at every point of entry.
Border management on high alert
“In airports, the conveyance operator; the captain of the aircraft, and crew members — will provide a general health declaration. [This] is part of the first screening phase in a document that is required to be completed by all conveyance operators. In it they declare that no travellers have reported or were found to be ill on board,” said Masiapato.
