The Burundi health ministry has reported three cases of mpox in its commercial capital and a town nearby.
Lydwine Baradahana, the health minister had said the cases of the viral infection; two in Bujumbura, and on Isare were confirmed after a local laboratory and the World Health Organization conducted tests late on Thursday.
The health minister had however, failed to reveal which variant of the mpox virus the ministry had confirmed.
Mpox has been endemic in Burundi’s neighbouring country, Democratic Republic of Congo for decades but a new variant of the clade I virus surfaced just last year.
The monkeypox virus spreads through close contact and it causes flu-like symptoms and a painful rash. Most cases of this infection are mild but it is fatal.
In 2022, a different but less severe strain of mpox (clade llb) spread globally through sexual contact between men and this prompted the WHO to declare a public health emergency that has now ended, although there are still cases of it remaining, but the agency has said mpox remains a public health threat.
What They’re Saying
“The three cases are being treated in health facilities and are getting better. And the contact cases are already listed and their follow-ups are underway,” Baradahana said.
“The health ministry reassures the Burundian population that all measures have been taken to deal with this disease.”
