Articles
Diphtheria situational report (week 18 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 3 May 2026, 20 confirmed cases of respiratory diphtheria and four 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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