Mpox Outbreak Continues, Expands in Africa
Within Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported the majority of confirmed mpox cases in June.
Geneva, Switzerland-The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the mpox outbreak continues worldwide, with 934 new laboratory-confirmed cases and four deaths reported in June 2024, writes Winston Mwale.
The most affected WHO regions are Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Western Pacific, and South-East Asia.
The Eastern Mediterranean region has not reported any cases this year.
Within Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported the majority of confirmed mpox cases in June.
However, limited testing in rural areas means that the actual number of cases is likely higher.
The WHO also reports that mpox has expanded geographically in Africa, with four new countries in East Africa (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda) reporting their first cases.
All of these cases are linked to the outbreak in East and Central Africa, and all sequenced cases are clade I.
Côte d'Ivoire is experiencing an outbreak of mpox linked to clade II MPXV, and South Africa has reported two more confirmed cases.
The WHO notes that the decline in reporting from countries may lead to an underestimation of the global burden of mpox.