In 1 year… Africa records 14,700 confirmed cases of monkeypox

The World Health Organization announced, on Saturday, that about 14,700 confirmed cases of monkeypox, including 66 deaths, had been recorded in 20 African countries from January 2024 until January 5, 2025.
Confirmed cases are only a portion of suspected cases, according to the organization. The organization had previously stated that a large number of suspected monkeypox cases are not being tested “and therefore not confirmed” in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to limited diagnostic capacity.

Monkeypox

The World Health Organization indicated that the ongoing outbreak of the disease is due to several types of the virus, including the “Clad LB” variant, which is spreading mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.
Imported travel-related cases due to the “Clad LB” variant and secondary transmission of these cases outside Africa were also monitored.
The organization reported that the imported cases were mostly among adults who traveled during the incubation period of the disease or who were suffering from early symptoms, and were diagnosed upon their arrival in other countries.

Monkeypox mutant

The new variant was first discovered in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is estimated to have emerged around mid-September 2023, according to a previous report from the World Health Organization.
Travel-related cases highlight the challenges posed by different monitoring capacities and reporting methods in countries.
Limited resources and difficulty accessing diagnostic tests can lead to under-reporting or delayed detection of cases, warns the World Health Organization.