Geneva [Switzerland], October 15: Two more African countries have reported cases of mpox over the past six weeks, bringing the total of affected nations to 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in Geneva on Monday.
Cases were reported in Zambia and Ghana for the first time this year, the WHO said. Suspected cases across Africa had risen by 3.6% to 36,787 by October 6, it said.
"The most affected country in 2024 continues to be the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6,169 confirmed cases, 25 deaths), followed by Burundi (987 confirmed cases, no deaths) and Nigeria (94 confirmed cases, no deaths)," the WHO said. Some 85% of suspected cases have been recorded in the DRC, with more than 6,000 cases of the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, found there. Medical experts believe the true figure to be higher. They note that only some of those with a skin rash are tested and that many do not seek medical attention out of embarrassment, primarily because the disease was largely spread at the beginning through sexual contact. (dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune