Burundi has confirmed 171 cases of mpox, following the first confirmed cases in the country last month.
Gatekeepers News reports that the health ministry spokesman of the country, Polycarpe Ndayineza revealed this to AFP.
He said, “We have a cumulative total of 171 confirmed positive cases, 137 of which are still active.”
“So far, there have been no deaths from mpox in Burundi.”
Three cases of mpox were detected in Burundi in late July, with health ministry reporting 153 confirmed cases as of August 18.
The health ministry said last month, “The epidemic continues to gain ground.”
It added that the ministry was in the process of creating isolation wards in district hospitals to care for mpox patients.
An official told AFP that the detected cases appeared to be the “new variant” spreading in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals.
The disease can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.
