Grapevine

Mpox outbreak: Uganda on alert

Africa’s public health agency is set to declare an mpox emergency as early as next week, saying the viral infection’s rate of spread is alarming, as a new variant moves across Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s borders.

In Uganda, the Ministry of Health confirmed two cases of mpox after individuals infected in the DRC entered the country.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild but it can kill.

The new variant, known as Clade Ib and circulating mostly in Congo, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, as seems to be the case among children.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General, Jean Kaseya, said on Thursday that reported cases in Africa had risen by 79 percent from 2022-2023 and by 160 percent from 2023 to 2024.