Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Wednesday that the country had recorded its first mpox death after a fifth case was recorded in the country last week. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

• Another person has died from mpox, this time in KwaZulu-Natal.
• The 38-year-old man is the second person in South Africa to succumb to the disease. 
• The first patient died on Monday.

Another person has died in hospital after contracting the mpox disease, this time in Umgungundlovu in KwaZulu-Natal. 

National health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the 38-year-old man died shortly after being diagnosed on Wednesday. 

“He tested positive for mpox on Wednesday after presenting extensive lesions, headaches, fatigue, oral ulcers, muscle pain and sore throat,” Mohale said. 

He added that the man died on the same day that his test results came back positive. 

“This brings the total number of positive cases in the country from five to six, and two deaths, within a period of five weeks. Mpox is a preventable and treatable disease if diagnosed early, hence we say early diagnosis saves lives,” Mohale said. 

READ | SA records first mpox death, as fifth case reported in one month

The department urged the public to avoid physical contact with people who tested positive for mpox, as well as practicing hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. 

“Diagnosed cases or patients should where possible, avoid contact with immunocompromised people, children [and] pregnant women who may be at higher risk of severe symptoms if exposed to the disease,” said Mohale. 

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Wednesday during a media briefing that the country had recorded its first mpox death after a fifth case was recorded in the country last week.

The 37-year-old man died at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng on Monday after testing positive for mpox last week, Phaahla said.

He was the fifth patient to test positive for mpox this year, said Phaahla, which “suggests there is local transmission of this infectious disease in the country”.

Phaahla added that the global outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been ongoing since 2022.

In 2022, South Africa recorded five positive cases of mpox in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Gauteng. No cases were reported in 2023.

All five cases reported this year were within one month, said Phaahla.

On 8 May, a 35-year-old man tested positive for mpox in Sedibeng, Gauteng. On 21 May, a 39-year-old man tested positive in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, followed by a 30-year-old man on 31 May. A third KwaZulu-Natal case was recorded on 3 June.

“One patient has been discharged, one discharged for home isolation and follow ups being made. Two cases are still admitted in hospital,” Phaahla said.

ALSO READ | Health department calls for public to seek testing as additional mpox cases surface

The minister added that all were males aged between 30 and 39, without travel histories to countries currently experiencing an outbreak.

“All five cases were classified severe cases as per WHO definition, requiring hospitalisation,” he said.

“The cases have co-morbidities and have been identified as key populations, men who have sex with men (MSM). Thus, the department is reaching out to organisations working on HIV programmes and with key populations, in addition to other stakeholders, to implement targeted communication to intensify awareness about the outbreak and local transmission of the disease.”

Mpox is a notifiable medical condition, and healthcare workers are required to report all suspected and confirmed cases, Phaahla said.

READ MORE | Health authorities encourage honest disclosure of contact after two more Mpox cases in Durban

According to the World Health Organisation, between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2024, a total of 97 208 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox had been reported.

There have been 186 deaths in 117 countries. There were more than 520 new laboratory-confirmed cases reported in April, which represents a 21.2% decline from March.