Author name: Siyabonga Mbatha

Provincial epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa, 2019–2024: Findings from laboratory-based surveillance in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports, Uncategorised / By

How do provincial differences shape the burden and characteristics of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa? Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, remains a significant public health concern in South Africa, particularly among infants, older adults, and individuals with underlying conditions. While the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into the Expanded Programme […]

Provincial epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa, 2019–2024: Findings from laboratory-based surveillance in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces Read More »

Epidemiology of cryptococcal disease in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces of South Africa (2022–2024)

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports, Uncategorised / By

Can improved surveillance and treatment access reduce the burden of cryptococcal disease in South Africa? Cryptococcal disease is a serious fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus species, most commonly affecting people with weakened immune systems. In individuals living with HIV, particularly those with advanced disease, the infection can spread to the brain and cause cryptococcal meningitis,

Epidemiology of cryptococcal disease in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces of South Africa (2022–2024) Read More »

2024 GERMS-SA: Annual surveillance review – Key findings

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

What do the latest GERMS-SA surveillance findings reveal about disease trends in South Africa? Infectious diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens remain a major public health concern. Surveillance systems that rely on laboratory-confirmed cases provide critical insights into disease burden and epidemiology, but can be affected by disruptions in diagnostic and reporting capacity.

2024 GERMS-SA: Annual surveillance review – Key findings Read More »

Reflections on the national guidelines for mpox in South Africa (policy brief)

Current Issues, Policy briefs, Uncategorised / By

What can South Africa’s national mpox guidelines teach us about strengthening public health preparedness and response? Mpox, historically a rare zoonosis confined to parts of Central and West Africa, has evolved into a global public health concern since 2022, with more than 175 000 confirmed cases reported across 142 countries by November 2025. South Africa

Reflections on the national guidelines for mpox in South Africa (policy brief) Read More »

Imported Lassa fever in South Africa: clinical and public health insights

Case Studies, Current Issues / By

Can imported cases of Lassa fever highlight diagnostic challenges and strengthen public health preparedness in South Africa? Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) remain a significant public health concern due to their potential to cause severe disease and high mortality. In non-endemic countries, recognition can be challenging because early symptoms are often non-specific and resemble more common

Imported Lassa fever in South Africa: clinical and public health insights Read More »

The evolution of antenatal care HIV/syphilis sentinel surveillance in South Africa (1990–2022)

Current Issues, HIV, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

How has antenatal care HIV and syphilis surveillance evolved, and what comes next? Antenatal care (ANC) services provide convenient access to healthy women who are sexually active and can serve as a proxy for the general population with respect to HIV surveillance. Since 1990, South Africa has conducted antenatal care HIV and syphilis sentinel surveillance

The evolution of antenatal care HIV/syphilis sentinel surveillance in South Africa (1990–2022) Read More »

One Health surveillance report for rabies in South Africa (2021–2023)

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

How can One Health surveillance reveal hidden trends in human and animal cases? Rabies, endemic in South Africa, is a fatal viral infection affecting livestock, wildlife, domestic animals, and humans through direct zoonotic exposure. Although rabies has been reported in numerous mammalian species, most human infections are associated with contact with rabid domestic dogs. Traditional

One Health surveillance report for rabies in South Africa (2021–2023) Read More »

The burden and epidemiology of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis and culture-confirmed cryptococcosis in South Africa, 2018–2023

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports / By

Can surveillance data reveal trends in HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis in South Africa? HIV-associated cryptococcosis continues to contribute substantially to illness and death among people living with HIV in South Africa, despite important progress in expanding access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Cryptococcosis is a serious opportunistic fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii. It

The burden and epidemiology of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis and culture-confirmed cryptococcosis in South Africa, 2018–2023 Read More »

The use of whole-genome sequencing to investigate a foodborne-associated outbreak in a mental healthcare institution

Current Issues, Outbreak Reports, Uncategorised / By

What insights can whole-genome sequencing provide during foodborne disease investigations? Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (Salmonella Enteritidis) remains a leading cause of foodborne disease outbreaks globally and continues to pose a public health challenge in South Africa. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections account for a substantial proportion of foodborne illnesses worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating

The use of whole-genome sequencing to investigate a foodborne-associated outbreak in a mental healthcare institution Read More »

Differential viral causes of vesicular rash in adults with suspected mpox in South Africa

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports / By

Can investigating viral causes of vesicular rash reduce misclassification of mpox cases in South Africa? Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) and remains a public health concern globally. Prior to 2022, human mpox was reported sporadically from a limited number of countries in West and Central Africa. Since 2022,

Differential viral causes of vesicular rash in adults with suspected mpox in South Africa Read More »

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