Concern after South Africa Sees Rapid Increase in Mpox Cases

South Africa's National Department of Health has confirmed a rapid rise in mpox infections, warning that the virus is now spreading locally faster than at any point since cases began appearing this year.

The department said on Friday September 18 2026- that the country has recorded 18 laboratory confirmed cases and one probable case, and that 13 of those were identified in just five weeks, between 13 August and 17 September.

Fifteen of the confirmed cases have come from the Western Cape, the province that includes Cape Town, three have been reported in Gauteng, home to Johannesburg and Pretoria, and one in KwaZulu Natal, on the country's east coast.

Mpox is a viral illness spread through close skin to skin contact that causes fever, body aches and a rash, and it has been under global health monitoring since 2022.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said patients have ranged in age from 23 to 50, with a median age of 36.5, and that 18 of the 19 people affected are men, though he stressed the virus can infect anyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or economic background.

One of the most recent cases involves a person who travelled to Spain and returned to South Africa on 14 September after testing positive there, and health officials are now working with Spanish authorities to confirm the result.

Mohale called for sustained public cooperation to stop the virus spreading further as the department continues monitoring the outbreak.