Current Issues

Tracking infectious agents through wastewater in South Africa: measles, rubella, hepatitis, influenza, mpox, and tuberculosis, 2024

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports / By

Can wastewater surveillance reveal hidden disease trends and strengthen public health in South Africa? Infectious diseases caused by viral and bacterial pathogens remain a major public health concern. Traditional surveillance systems, which rely on laboratory-confirmed cases, can be affected by socioeconomic factors, delayed healthcare-seeking, and under-reporting. These challenges can obscure the true burden of disease […]

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Antimicrobial resistance: The threat we can see, if we choose to look

Current Issues, Opinion Pieces / By

The burden of antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the most critical global health threats, which could result in 169 million people dying of AMR-related causes between 2025 and 2050. Despite the magnitude, it is a “silent pandemic” because it receives far less attention than traditional pandemics. However, if we examine the problem

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Advocating for meningococcal vaccination among tertiary students in South Africa (policy brief)

Current Issues, Policy briefs / By

How can increased meningococcal vaccination protect South Africa’s university students from this disease? Meningococcal disease is a devastating illness that affects healthy young individuals, many of whom are tertiary students. It can result in sudden death or long-term sequelae such as blindness, deafness, or amputations. Newly acquired meningococcal nasopharyngeal colonisation occurs frequently on tertiary campuses

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Linkage to care for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis cases in Gauteng, South Africa (2022–2023)

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

How effectively are rifampicin-resistant TB patients in Gauteng linked to care and initiated on treatment? Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body. Common symptoms include a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Without timely diagnosis

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An outbreak of Alkalihalobacillus clausii bacteraemia linked to probiotic use in South African hospitals (2024)

Current Issues, Outbreak Reports / By

How did probiotic use contribute to the A. clausii outbreak in South African hospitals? Alkalihalobacillus clausii (A. clausii), formerly known as Bacillus clausii, is a spore-forming gram-positive bacillus widely used in probiotic formulations. It has demonstrated therapeutic potential in managing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea by reducing inflammation, protecting intestinal integrity, and restoring gut microbiota balance. Although generally

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Antenatal HIV and syphilis testing in South Africa: Comparing medical records and laboratory results among pregnant women

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports / By

How consistent are antenatal HIV and syphilis results across data sources? Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum (TP). Globally, about 7.1 million people were newly infected with TP and an estimated 200 000 deaths were due to syphilis in 2020. Syphilis can be transmitted from mother to

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Malaria vector surveillance in South Africa: 2023 update

Current Issues, Malaria, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

How do mosquito species and resistance trends impact malaria transmission? Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. In South Africa, malaria transmission is seasonal and occurs mainly in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.  Symptoms can range from fever, chills, and headaches to severe

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Investigation of a measles outbreak in Mpumalanga, South Africa (Nov 2022–Dec 2023)

Current Issues, Outbreak Reports, Uncategorised / By

What contributed to the measles outbreak in Mpumalanga? Measles is a highly infectious and potentially fatal acute viral disease that predominantly affects young children. It is characterised by fever and a maculopapular rash that typically appears 3–5 days after the onset of respiratory-like symptoms. Complications include diarrhoea, pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. Measles is vaccine-preventable. Despite

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Investigation of foodborne disease outbreak linked to restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa (February, 2024)

Case Studies, Current Issues / By

How did a Cape Town restaurant become the source of a foodborne disease outbreak in February 2024? Foodborne diseases (FBD) are illnesses caused by eating contaminated food. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally, one in ten people, about 600 million individuals, fall ill from FBD every year, with 420,000 deaths. Low and middle-income

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The risk of zooanthroponosis of mpox in South Africa

Current Issues, Opinion Pieces, Uncategorised / By

Is there a risk of mpox spreading from humans back to animals? Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). The virus is transmitted from animals to humans in endemic areas in central and western Africa. Although the natural ecology of MPXV remains to be elucidated, evidence points towards several rodent species

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