In this month’s issue of the Communiqué, we reflect on World Rabies Day, which is celebrated on 28 September very year. The theme for this year is “All for One, One Health for All,” which highlights the importance of interventions aimed at animal health, to preserve human health. We are happy to report that there have been no new human rabies cases identified in South Africa since our last report in August. The total number of human cases for the year so far still stands at eight cases.

An interesting inclusion in the September issue is a review on the measles outbreak surveillance data reporting from Limpopo Province. In the review, we examine the factors affecting data quality and ways to improve case reporting going forward. The measles outbreak in South Africa is still ongoing and there has been a notable increase in the incidence of cases since epidemiological week 34 (week ending 26 August 2023). We urge all healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for measles in all provinces and to notify cases using the Notifiable Medical Conditions platform.

Looking beyond our borders, we continue to report on the ongoing cholera outbreaks in the African Region. To date, fifteen countries have reported outbreaks, including some of our neighbouring countries. This highlights the importance of ongoing surveillance for cholera, as the risk of further importation of cases to South Africa remains high.

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to thank you for your continued support of the NICD’s Communicable Disease Communiqué. The last issue of the Communiqué will be published in December 2023, as we finalise the transition to the Public Health Bulletin of South Africa. More information on this will be provided in next month’s issue.

On behalf of the Communiqué editorial team, we hope you enjoy the September edition and wish you a Happy Spring!