South Africa's health authorities report 2 deaths from mpox this week and warn of local transmission
South African health authorities say two people have died this week after contracting mpox, and it appears there is local transmission of the disease
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African health authorities say two people have died this week after contracting mpox, and it appears there is local transmission of the disease.
The health ministry said Thursday that a 38-year-old man died in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province on Wednesday, the same day a laboratory test confirmed that he had contracted the virus. Another man died Monday in a hospital near Johannesburg, the ministry said.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the two deaths were among six recent confirmed cases of mpox in South Africa, all of them in men in their 30s. Some had multiple sexual partners, including men and women. Genetic tests for the first three cases showed the men had the less severe version of mpox, which spread globally in an outbreak that began in 2022.
In all cases, the men had no travel history to countries currently experiencing an outbreak, "which suggests there is local transmission of this infectious disease,” Phaahla said.
