Researchers at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are concerned about how quickly a novel disease strain is proliferating.
This year, there have been almost 15,000 cases of mpox reported on the continent, with 461 deaths recorded. This is a 160% increase in cases over the same period in 2023, while deaths have increased by about 19%.
Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to its neighbors. Eighteen countries have reported incidents in all.
DR Congo accounted for 96% of all cases and fatalities, according to the public health ministry.
Children under the age of 15 account for approximately 70% of illnesses and 85% of deaths in the country, according to Africa officials.
Mumps creates pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. Although most occurrences are mild, they can be fatal.The illness is spread by intimate contact with infected individuals, especially through sexual activity. The endemic strain known as Clade 1 is what started the most recent outbreak on the continent.
But a fresh variation called Clade 1b has surfaced, and it seems to spread more readily through intimate contact, especially with young people.
