Mpox Outbreak: Over 1,000 New Cases Recorded In Congo In 7 Days, Reports CDC

More than 1,000 cases of mpox have been reported from Congo which has now prompted the need for vaccination protocol from the African health authorities.

Recent reports from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded over 1,000 cases of mpox within the span of one week. This upsurge of cases has prompted an urgent call for vaccinations from the African health authorities, as per media reports. Mpox cases has already spread across many countries sparking fear and speculations of it becoming another pandemic. However, the World Health Organisation has assured that, "Mpox is not another COVID-19." This disease may be new and the variant may be dangerous however, it is preventable with precautionary measures and vaccine. Despite that, the WHO has also termed mpox as, "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)."

In the past 7 days, Congo reported 1,030 of the 1,405 new mpox cases across the African continent, as per reports by Africa CDC. The number is yet to be confirmed because of 16 percent of the cases have been officially tested and confirmed.

Out of all the African countries, Congo has experienced the brunt of mpox, Most of the case have been reported from that region. In total, 12 countries of Africa has reported mpox cases. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Congo has recorded 94% of the continent's 18,910 cases this year, totaling 17,794 cases and 535 deaths out of 541 reported.

The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya said in a statement that the true count from Congo may be much higher because only 20 percent of the suspected cases are being actually testes for mpox. The capacity of testing and surveillance is still very limited in Africa.