Johannesburg – A man from Potchefstroom who was quarantined after showing signs of haemorrhagic fever has died, the North West health department said on Friday.

Spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said in a statement:  “According to specialists, the cause of death is septicaemia [blood poisoning], disseminated intravascular coagulation [blood clots] and multiple organ failure due to overwhelming bacterial infection.”

The 72-year-old man went to hospital on Wednesday complaining of fever, weakness and coughing and other symptoms of haemorrhagic fever.

He was transferred to the Klerksdorp hospital’s highly infectious disease unit from Potchefstroom hospital on Thursday morning.

“Blood investigations from both Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp hospitals were done to determine the actual diagnosis,” Lekgethwane said.

“The patient was treated for the identified bacterial infection in his blood while awaiting blood results from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to rule [out] haemorrhagic fever.

“The outcome of the blood results showed negative… [for] HIV, Congo fever and malaria.”

High fever

Lekgethwane previously said infection control measures were strengthened and the man and hospital staff had been placed in quarantine.

The national health department on Thursday reportedly denied that the man was being treated for Ebola.

Spokesperson Joe Maila reportedly told eNCA that the man was being treated for a high fever unrelated to Ebola.

“What we know is that a person came into the hospital with fever and this person has never been outside of South Africa,” he was quoted as saying.

The symptoms of Ebola include high fever, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting and unexplained haemorrhaging.

According to the World Health Organisation, the Ebola virus disease has killed more than 3 500 people in West Africa since the start of the year.

SAPA