South Africa records third mpox death

By Hassan Isilow

A third person has died in South Africa from a mpox viral infection outbreak that started in May, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

It said 16 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported since last month.

The ministry said eight detected cases were from the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal and seven from Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria. One case was reported in the Western Cape province.

It said all confirmed cases are males between the ages of 23 to 43.

It allayed fears of possible travel restrictions or lockdowns because of the outbreak because the World Health Organization (WHO) 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 said.

South Africa’s Border Management Authority said it will start implementing screening processes for travelers entering the country at all ports of entry.

The WHO said Tuesday that mpox cases are on the rise in Africa, urging intensified investigations to identify root causes.

"Today, mpox remains a public health threat as the situation continues to evolve," Rosamund Lewis, WHO technical lead for the infectious disease, said at a UN news conference in Geneva.

Lewis said more than 3,100 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported globally since the start of 2024, while in May alone about 600 confirmed cases were reported to the WHO from 26 countries.

"In addition, cases are on the rise in Africa," she warned, adding that Africa is now the leading region for confirmed cases, replacing the Americas.

She said the Congo continues to face a major outbreak due to clade I of the virus, with 9,291 clinically-compatible cases and 419 deaths among those reported in 2024 alone, with a high case fatality ratio of almost 5%.