Maputo, 18 Jul (AIM) – The Mozambican health authorities have recorded two more cases of the disease M-pox (formerly known as monkey pox), in Lago district, in the northern province of Niassa, which means that the number of confirmed cases has risen from four to six.
According to a daily bulletin on M-pox, issues by the National Directorate of Public Health, the authorities over the last 24 hours carried out six tests, two of which were positive. Three new suspected cases have also been identified and are currently in home isolation.
The bulletin also revealed that for the first time, there are two suspected cases in Milange district, in the central province of Zambézia.
“These cases have been registered in the last 24 hours, with no known contact history. The country has so far traced 27 contacts. So far, no deaths have been reported. 21 samples have been tested and 27 contacts are still being followed up”, reads the bulletin.
In addition to Zambézia, Tete province is also a cause for concern and it is suspected that the recent cases may have been imported from Malawi, given Niassa’s border with Malawian districts such as Likoma and Machinga.
The Mozambican authorities and World Health Organization (WHO) have been coordinating and the country has been receiving technical support and resources for the management and control of the disease.
M-pox is a viral disease, transmitted from animals to human beings, which was first identified in 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The current outbreak in Africa has been reported in 22 countries, with more than 26,000 positive cases of the disease, resulting in 501 fatalities.
In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, the countries affected are the DRC, Angola, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and now Mozambique.
M-pox was declared a public health emergency of international interest for the second time in August 2024.
(AIM)
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