2024-07-14 08:47:46
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the threat posed by mpox (formerly known as ‘monkeypox’), expressing concern about an outbreak of a new, more deadly strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In this regard, the WHO said it had received reports of cases from 26 countries in the last month. “MPOX remains a threat to global health,” said the director of the agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a press conference.
South Africa recently recorded 20 cases, three of them fatal, “the first cases in the country since 2022.” None of the patients had traveled abroad, “suggesting that confirmed cases represent a small percentage of all cases and that community transmission is underway,” he stressed.
“This epidemic shows no signs of slowing down,” Tedros added. In total, 11,000 cases have been recorded, 445 of them fatal, with children being the most affected. It is transmitted through close contact with infected people or animals, as well as through objects contaminated by the patient such as clothing or bedding.
AFP
2024-07-14 08:47:46