Mpox cases rise rapidly in South Africa as Health Department urges vigilance

The Department of Health is urging the public to remain vigilant as South Africa records a rapid increase in laboratory-confirmed mpox cases.

As of Thursday, 17 September 2026, the country had recorded 18 confirmed cases and one probable case. The Western Cape has reported the highest number, with 15 cases, mainly in the City of Cape Town, followed by three in Gauteng and one in KwaZulu-Natal.

The department said 13 of the cases were recorded between 13 August and 17 September, raising concerns about rapid local transmission of the virus.

The patients are aged between 23 and 50, with a median age of 36.5 years. Of the 19 confirmed and probable cases, 18 are men and one is a woman.

One of the latest cases involves a person who travelled to Spain earlier this month and returned to South Africa on 14 September. The individual was tested in Spain after being informed that they were a probable case.

South African health authorities are engaging with their Spanish counterparts while awaiting laboratory results to confirm the person's mpox status.

The department said people who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for mpox should monitor themselves for symptoms for up to 21 days.

Symptoms may include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue and a rash or skin lesions. These lesions can appear on the face, hands, feet, genitals or other parts of the body.

The lesions typically start as flat red spots before developing into bumps, fluid-filled blisters and pus-filled bumps, eventually forming crusted scabs.

Symptoms generally appear between six and 13 days after exposure, although the incubation period can range from five to 21 days.

Anyone experiencing symptoms, particularly after close contact with a confirmed or suspected case, is urged to seek medical attention immediately and avoid close contact with others.

Mpox is mainly spread through close physical contact with an infected person, including skin-to-skin contact with rashes or lesions. It can also spread through contaminated bedding, clothing and towels.

The virus may also be transmitted through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact, as well as through uncovered coughing or sneezing.

The department is urging people to maintain good hand hygiene by regularly washing their hands or using hand sanitiser, particularly in households, healthcare settings and close social networks.

Government, with support from the World Health Organization, has also secured limited doses of mpox vaccines as part of its outbreak response strategy. Health authorities will determine where and how the doses will be deployed to help contain outbreaks.

The department stressed that vaccination should be accompanied by continued adherence to preventive measures.

It also urged communities to support people diagnosed with or suspected of having mpox, warning that stigma and discrimination could discourage people from seeking medical care and undermine efforts to contain the outbreak.