South Africa Records Increase in Measles Cases

(MENAFN) South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has sounded the alarm over a dramatic spike in measles infections, urging intensified surveillance and accelerated vaccination campaigns as the outbreak spreads across the country.

The NICD's latest weekly situation report, released Friday, recorded 1,352 laboratory-confirmed measles cases between Dec. 29, 2025, and April 26, 2026 — spanning epidemiological weeks 1 through 17. The figure represents a staggering surge compared to the 182 confirmed cases logged over a comparable 18-week stretch in early 2025.

The outbreak has taken hold nationwide, with the Western Cape emerging as the current epicenter, logging the highest single-week tally of new infections at 42 cases.

Children between the ages of one and 14 bear the heaviest burden, accounting for 67.8 percent of all reported cases. Yet the NICD flagged a troubling secondary trend: nearly one in five infections — 19.7 percent — is now occurring in people aged 15 and older, raising concern about widening immunity gaps beyond childhood.

"This is indicative of continuing measles transmission within communities and possibly an immunity gap in older age groups," the institute said. "This shift in the epidemiology of measles among adults warrants further investigation to inform and improve public health interventions."

The NICD noted that measles remains endemic in South Africa and follows seasonal patterns, with transmission intensifying during autumn months. Communities with low vaccination coverage are particularly at risk, the institute cautioned, where children are "either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated."

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