SOUTH AFRICA— Health Minister Joe Phaahla has announced that one of the five Mpox patients in South Africa passed away on June 10 , at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng.
This comes after the confirmation of two cases in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the ministry, this initial test was conducted by Lancet Laboratory and subsequently confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which promptly notified the Ministry.
Speaking during a media briefing on June 12, Minister Phaahla noted that the briefing centered on the management of the monkeypox outbreak in the country.
He reported that all five patients were males aged between 30 to 39 years without travel history to the countries currently experiencing an outbreak, suggesting local transmission of this infectious disease in South Africa.
The minister also shared that the deceased patient was originally from KwaZulu-Natal but had not been home since December last year.
Despite the availability of the antiviral agent, the patient was unable to swallow his treatment due to the severity of his sores.
Phaahla added that all cases were classified as severe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, requiring hospitalization.
These patients had comorbidities and were identified as key populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM).
Phaahla informed the media that one of the patients has since been discharged, one is isolated at home, while two are still in hospital.
He explained that the sequencing analysis of three cases revealed Mpox clade IIb, a variant dominant in the multi-country outbreak that began in 2022.
“So, the one in our country is consistent with the multi-country outbreaks in various parts of the world and different from the strain variant in the DRC,” he noted.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the minister said, continues with epidemiological and surveillance activities to identify cases for investigation and estimate the magnitude of the disease through systematic data collection and analysis.
He also noted that 38 contacts were identified in KwaZulu-Natal, while one patient indicated having had sexual contact with multiple partners, including both males and females.
Meanwhile, the Outbreak Response Team has embarked on contact tracing and case finding in the affected provinces.
Phaahla encouraged people who may have been associated with someone with the disease, or who are showing any symptoms of skin lesions or rashes, to approach their nearest health facility.
In South Africa, there is no registered treatment for Mpox; however, the Minister said the WHO recommends using Tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, for treating severe cases, such as in individuals with a CD4 count of less than 350.
He announced that the department has obtained TPOXX via Section 21 South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) approval on a compassionate-use basis for known patients with severe disease.
The minister stated that they are still looking at obtaining vaccines and considering various options, including who will be the priority targets for immunization.
He believes that high-risk groups should be prioritized, including sex workers, MSM, healthcare workers, and laboratory workers.
The department, working with partner organizations, has intensified both targeted and public awareness campaigns to provide citizens with crucial information related to Mpox.
The minister also emphasized the importance of managing stigma for key populations at risk, while there have been no recommendations for any travel restrictions.
For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook