A second person has died in South Africa this week from the viral infection mpox, says the health ministry, less than 24 hours after it announced the first death. Previously known as monkeypox, mpox is a viral illness transmitted through close contact with infected humans or animals, as well as via materials such as contaminated sheets.
On Thursday, South Africa's government said the second person who died was a 38-year-old man. He was admitted to a hospital in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province with extensive lesions, headache, fatigue, oral ulcers, muscle pain and a sore throat. He tested positive for mpox on Wednesday.
One death is too many, especially from a preventable and manageable disease, Phaahla said, urging those with suspected symptoms to seek medical attention and help trace contacts. The six cases were the first recorded in the country since 2022.
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