Congo Republic declares Mpox epidemic as fresh cases surface

The Republic of Congo has declared an mpox epidemic after 19 cases were reported in five departments, including the capital, Brazzaville.

There have been no deaths, according to Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki in a statement made available to newsmen.

He urged the public to take precautions, such as avoiding direct contact with suspected cases, avoiding contact with animals, and handling game meat with bare hands.

In December last year, the World Health Organization, WHO, expressed deep worries over the spread of a severe form of mpox that has killed nearly 600 people, largely children, in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The DRC reported over 13,000 cases in 2023, more than twice as many as during the last peak in 2020, with the disease identified in nearly every province.

The UN health agency has renamed the virus mpox to replace the former term monkeypox, expressing concerns about the stigma and prejudice connected with the name.

Mpox was first discovered in humans in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, according to the WHO.

The symptoms include fever, pains, and skin sores.

In 2022, the World Health Organization declared a worldwide health emergency after an outbreak spread to Europe and North America.