11 Mar 2024 | 03:36 PM UTC
DRC: Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported nationwide, especially Equateur, in March
Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in the DRC in March. Equateur is most affected. Use basic health precautions.
Health officials have reported elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity in multiple areas in the DRC, with a total of 2,609 suspected mpox cases reported Jan. 1-Feb. 18. This is compared to 950 suspected mpox cases reported over a similar period in 2023. Equateur (1,612 cases) is the most affected province, followed by Sud-Ubangi (266 cases), Sankuru (176 cases), Tshuapa (101 cases), and Tshopo (94 cases). As disease surveillance and contact tracing continue, officials will likely identify additional cases in the coming weeks. This report represents the most up-to-date information as of March 11.
Practice basic health precautions, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, covering the nose and mouth when coughing, and avoiding obviously ill individuals. Avoid overcrowded areas and consider using safe sexual practices, such as physical barriers (condoms), in countries reporting mpox transmission. Seek medical attention if symptoms develop within two weeks of being in affected areas. Vaccines are available but limited.
The National Minister of Public Health, Hygiene, and Prevention declared a nationwide mpox outbreak in the DRC on Dec. 16, 2022. Health authorities reported a total of 14,626 suspected mpox cases in the DRC in 2023. Mpox is endemic in the DRC; most cases are reported in west and central Africa, primarily in the DRC, Nigeria, and Cameroon, among individuals who report contact with wild rodents or other mammals that may harbor the disease. Human-to-human transmission occurs among people in close physical contact, with an increase in recent cases linked to sexual contact. The current outbreak highlights the importance of vigilant, safe sexual practices, and mpox can be transmitted while the infected person displays few or no symptoms; however, the risk is currently assessed as low for individuals not routinely engaging with multiple or anonymous sexual partners.
Mpox is caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. However, mpox is not the same as smallpox and does not have the same capacity for rapid human-to-human transmission. Mpox is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected rodents or primates. Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through close personal contact with an infected individual via respiratory droplets, direct contact with bodily fluids, or indirect contact with lesion material (e.g., contaminated clothing or bedding). Symptoms typically appear 6-16 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle aches and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a distinctive rash characterized by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.
