CAPE TOWN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Department of Health has confirmed that the death toll in the ongoing outbreak of monkeypox, or mpox, in the country has risen to three, with the total number of cases climbing to 16.
"The country has recorded three more positive cases of mpox and one death as the efforts to curb the spread of this infectious disease are ongoing in the affected communities around the country," the department said in a statement Tuesday evening.
According to the statement, the latest cases involve a 40-year-old male from KwaZulu-Natal province who presented with mpox-like symptoms including rash all over his body and never presented in hospital. "He passed on at home and the results came back positive for mpox on June 23, 2024."
The other two cases were confirmed in Gauteng province. Both of them presented with symptoms indicative of the disease but had no international travel history.
"This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox in South Africa to 16 since the outbreak of the disease in May 2024. Eight cases from KwaZulu-Natal, seven cases from Gauteng, and one from Western Cape. All cases are males, aged between 23 and 43 years old," said the department. "The number of mpox-related deaths has also increased to three."
"We are trying to check the patterns of infection," said health department spokesperson Foster Mohale Wednesday.
When asked about the tracing of contacts of those who might have come into contact with the mpox-positive individuals, Mohale said: "We depend on the openness of those who tested positive. The majority of them do cooperate with us. Cooperation with health officials is the only way we can curb the transmission, but some people aren't cooperative."
The spokesperson noted that the health department, working with provinces and other stakeholders in the sector, has embarked on health education with funeral parlors on how to handle the remains of those who died due to suspected and confirmed mpox.
Tracing is crucial in combating the spread of cases as it ensures that people who may have been in contact with those testing positive for mpox are treated, Mohale said.
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include an unexplained acute rash and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, acute onset of fever, headache, muscle and body aches, and low energy.
According to the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a new variant of mpox virus, named "clade 1b," was detected in Kamituga, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in April of this year. The variant exhibits heightened transmissibility, mainly through sexual contact, raising concerns about the possibility of a pandemic.
The South African Border Management Authority said Tuesday that it has started screening visitors into the country for mpox at all ports of entry.
In the statement issued Tuesday evening, the health department said it "would like to allay fears of possible travel restrictions or lockdowns due to mpox outbreak because the World Health Organization has not recommended any travel restrictions."
"However, it is important for travelers from mpox endemic countries to seek health care if they are ill and to alert health officials about their travel for clinical guidance," it added.
The department also urged people to support all those who are showing symptoms to present at their nearest healthcare facilities immediately for screening and diagnosis, instead of self-diagnosis and using over-the-counter medication. ■
