Uganda Confirms Two New Mpox Cases in Kasese

Dr Festus Mbrenga / Institut Pasteur de Bangui - 2022, Fourni par l'auteur
Skin lesions from Mpox (file photo)
2 August 2024
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Muhamadi Matovu

The Ministry of Health has confirmed two new cases of Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox) in Uganda.

Both cases were imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and were detected in Kasese District.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, the cases include a 37-year-old woman from Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town Council, who is married to a Congolese man, and a 22-year-old Congolese woman from Bunyiswa II village, Bwera subcounty, Kasese District.

"Both individuals presented with symptoms such as skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and general malaise, which are consistent with Mpox," the Ministry stated.

The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) confirmed the presence of the Mpox virus after testing samples taken from the individuals on July 24, 2024.

The Ministry emphasized that the transmission did not occur within Uganda, and no secondary transmission has been linked to these cases so far.

A rapid response team has been deployed to Kasese District to collaborate with local authorities in managing the situation. Currently, nine contacts are under follow-up to monitor for any potential spread of the disease.

Uganda is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the DRC, where Mpox cases have been reported in nearly all provinces, including the latest in North Kivu, particularly in Goma.

Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, which is closely related to smallpox. It spreads through direct physical contact with an infected person, contaminated materials, or infected animals.

For more information, the Ministry of Health can be contacted through their Public Relations Unit at the Office of the Director General.

In related news, Kenya recently confirmed an outbreak of Mpox, as announced by the country's health ministry on Wednesday.

The infected individual was detected at the Taita-Taveta one-stop border point (OSBP).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Mpox is characterized by symptoms such as a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The illness can last 2-4 weeks.

Uganda joins several other countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, in confirming Mpox cases.

The disease is endemic in the forested areas of East, Central, and West Africa, and since May 2022, a global outbreak has been ongoing, with peak cases reported in August 2022 and June-November 2023.

Read the original article on Nile Post.

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