DAKAR, Sept 25 (Reuters) – A laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was identified in the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, the director of a local hospital and two health officials said, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease as the country battles its worst Ebola outbreak on record.
• The epidemic caused by the Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri province, where Bunia is located, and has infected 7,890 people and killed 3,799, according to government data published on Thursday.
• Mpox is a viral disease that causes fever and skin lesions and spreads through close physical contact.
• Congo declared an end to mpox as a national public health emergency in April after a three-year outbreak that resulted in more than 34,000 confirmed cases nationwide. Authorities cautioned at the time that the virus had not been eradicated and could resurge.
• The latest case involves a 21-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital on Thursday with lesions across her body consistent with mpox, hospital director Davin Ambitapio Musungufu said. She tested positive on Friday, he and two health officials told Reuters.
• A second woman, aged 32, has been identified as a suspected mpox case and is awaiting laboratory results, Musungufu said. She and the confirmed patient have been isolated and are being cared for by a dedicated medical team.
• Investigations are underway to trace contacts and identify the source of infection, Musungufu said.
• Dr. Adelard Lofungola, a health official who served as deputy incident manager for Congo’s mpox response, said five suspected mpox cases in Bunia were currently under investigation.
• Health officials have reported an increase in mpox cases in several parts of the country over the past month, he said.
• Lofungola said the Ebola outbreak’s impact on Congo’s health system was complicating efforts to monitor other infections.
(Reporting and Writing by Clement Bonnerot; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
