Mbombela – Fifteen people in Mpumalanga’s Hazyview area have contracted malaria, the health department said on Wednesday.

The cases were reported since last week, a Sapa correspondent reported.

“Twenty-four malaria cases were received at Matikwane Hospital [in Mkhuhlu outside Hazyview]. Fifteen were positive while nine were negative,” the department’s spokesperson Ronnie Masilela said.

The patients were from Goromane Trust, Mkhuhlu, Cork, Lillydale outside Hazyview, and Buyisonto outside Thulamahashe.

“Three patients are still in hospital and are receiving the best medical care we can provide.”

He said the department was awaiting a report to determine whether Vuyani Nkuna, 43, from Goromane, died because of malaria.

“We cannot yet confirm that the death was related to malaria until we have a report about the cause of death,” he said.

Nkuna’s widow, Nopinki Bikisha, 44, said her husband died of malaria last week.

“My husband started sweating on Monday and told me he was weak and had a headache,” said Bikisha.

She said she took him to a clinic outside her village on Tuesday as he was getting weaker.

“They called an ambulance and it took him to Matikwane Hospital. He was transferred to Themba Hospital in Kabokweni that night. He died the next day,” she said.

Forgive Mokoena, 21, and her mother Assa Mokoena, 61, were admitted to Matikwane Hospital on Tuesday.

– SAPA