Articles
Diphtheria situational report (week 14 of 2026)
Respiratory diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable illness caused by toxigenic C. diphtheriae (and more rarely C. ulcerans or C. pseudotuberculosis), and can occur in persons of all ages.
Between 29 December 2025 and 5 April 2026, 14 confirmed cases of respiratory diphtheria and two asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic C. diphtheriae, have been identified in South Africa. All respiratory cases and carriers were from the Western Cape.
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