Mpox: 26 confirmed cases in South Africa
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Spotlight (NSP)
Illustrative image · Klaus Nielsen · Pexels · Licence PexelsSouth Africa had recorded 26 confirmed mpox cases by 27 October, including 18 in the Western Cape, and seven patients had been hospitalised. Twenty infections have occurred since August, while the health ministry plans to use donated vaccines as needed, reports Spotlight.
Twenty-six cases of mpox have been confirmed in South Africa since the start of 2026, including 20 since August, Dr Jacqueline Weyer, head of the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, told Spotlight on 27 October. The Western Cape has the most cases, with 18, followed by Gauteng with three, the Eastern Cape and Free State with two each, and KwaZulu-Natal with one.
Seven people have been hospitalised, but no deaths have been recorded this year. Twenty-five of the 26 patients are men aged between 23 and 50, while one woman aged between 35 and 44 has also been recorded, according to Jacqueline Weyer.
The cumulative number of confirmed cases since 2022 remains estimated at 71 in South Africa. The country recorded five cases in 2022 and none in 2023; the National Institute for Communicable Diseases dashboard records 66 cases and three deaths for the period 2024-2026. Globally, the World Health Organization reports more than 190,000 confirmed cases and more than 536 deaths since 2022, in about 140 countries.
