Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox (monkeypox), a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, after 19 cases were confirmed across five regions, including the capital Brazzaville, according to reports.
No deaths have been recorded, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a statement on Tuesday, April 23, calling on the public to take precautions including avoiding close contact with suspected cases, avoiding contact with animals and avoiding handling game meat with bare hands.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has named the virus mpox to replace the older term monkeypox, citing concerns of stigma and racism associated with the name.
Mpox was first detected in humans in neighbouring DR Congo in 1970, according to the WHO.
According to the UN health agency, since early May 2022, cases of mpox have been reported from countries where the disease is not endemic and continue to be reported in several endemic countries. Most reported cases so far have been identified through sexual health or other health services in primary or secondary health care facilities and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men. As of December 31, 2023, it is noted, there have been 2,803 cases and 22 deaths from 10 counties reported within the region.
With WHO support, countries within the region have worked to prevent further spread of the disease. This includes providing guidance on surveillance, laboratory investigation, clinical management, infection prevention and control, as well as risk communication and community engagement to inform communities at risk about mpox and how to keep safe.
According to the WHO, monkeypox is a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although less severe. While smallpox was eradicated in 1980, mpox continues to occur in countries of central and west Africa.
Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus. Evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in animals including squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, different species of monkeys and others.
The disease can also spread from humans to humans. It can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
Common symptoms of the disease are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last two to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
