Johannesburg – South Africa, is experiencing a surge in confirmed Mpox cases, prompting the Department of Health to issue a public notice urging vigilance.
Spokesperson Foster Mohale said on Thursday, 17 September 2026: “The Department of Health is urging citizens to remain vigilant of Mpox symptoms as the country is experiencing a rapid increase in laboratory-confirmed Mpox cases.”
He said that since 14 August this year and 17 September, South Africa had recorded as many as 18 laboratory-confirmed Mpox cases.
The department was also aware of one probable case.
Mohale said: “And this requires immediate and sustained public collaboration in order to contain further spread of this virus”.
Mohale said only one case was that of a female, and the rest were males.
Mohale said the 15 cases were recorded in Cape Town, Western Cape, three in Gauteng, and one in KwaZulu-Natal.
He said the ages of the affected individuals range from 23 to 50 years.
Mpox symptoms typically include a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, low energy, fever, sore throat, headache, and muscle aches.
For the latest updates on mpox, visit the NICD Disease Index mpox page and explore the dedicated mpox dashboard for regular updates.
