The Mpox epidemic in South Africa is causing great concern among the population. Health officials recently reported two deaths this week from the disease, highlighting local transmission of the virus.
According to the health ministry, a 38-year-old man died in KwaZulu-Natal province on Wednesday after a laboratory test confirmed he had the virus. Another man died on Monday in a hospital near Johannesburg.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the two deaths are in addition to six new confirmed cases of Mpox in South Africa, all affecting men in their 30s. Some of these individuals had had multiple sexual partners, both male and female. Genetic testing revealed that the first cases had a less severe form of Mpox, which has spread globally since the 2022 outbreak.
Among the victims, men had pre-existing medical conditions. The last man to die was infected with HIV. Mpox is known to be more deadly in individuals with other health conditions, particularly those with weakened immune systems.
Mpox, or monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by a virus from the same family as that responsible for smallpox. It is common in parts of Africa, where people are often infected through bites from rodents or other small animals.
The virus was not known for human-to-human transmission until 2022, when outbreaks were detected in Europe, North America and elsewhere, leading the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. This outbreak also marked the first observation of sexual transmission of the virus; the majority of those affected were homosexual or bisexual men. The WHO declared last year that Mpox no longer constituted an international crisis.
Mpox has caused 186 deaths worldwide since 2022, with a case fatality rate of less than 1%, according to the WHO. South Africa has not recorded a case of Mpox since 2022, but this recent wave of infections is worrying.
Phaahla stressed that the outbreak in South Africa is distinct from that underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a more severe form of the disease may be behind the largest outbreak the country has seen.
Faced with this situation, South African health authorities are considering acquiring vaccines and launching a vaccination campaign to stem the spread of the virus. It is imperative for the population to be vigilant and follow the recommendations of the authorities to prevent the spread of Mpox in South Africa.