South Africa Mpox Outbreak Confirmed

While the mpox Clade 2 outbreak has spread globally since May 2022, Clade 1 cases have been limited to travel-related detections in most countries.

According to the South Africa's Department of Health's announcement on February 27, 2025, the country has recorded three laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox Clade 1 in three provinces, such as Gauteng. 

Gauteng province contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg, home to about 16 million people.

This news increases the cumulative number of positive cases from 25 to 28, including three deaths.

The DOH wrote in a press release, 'There is no need for the public to panic, but people are urged to remain cautious of how mpox spreads and to seek help when faced with symptoms of mpox.'

'The risk of wider transmission remains low in South Africa, but anyone can contract mpox regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation and race.'

Mpox has become a vaccine-preventable disease.

However, South Africa has a limited stock of a mpox-specific vaccine for the treatment of patients who experience severe health complications as a result of this sexually transmitted disease.

As of March 4, 2025, about four mpox vaccines have been used worldwide.

Globally, mpox continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, as per the declarations by both the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in August 2024.

The mpox outbreak is ongoing in thirteen out of 22 countries in Africa, with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo currently reporting the highest number of cases.

In the United States, most Clade 1 mpox cases have been travel-related.