Maputo, 3 Nov (AIM) – The Mozambican health authorities have warned that sporadic cases of Mpox are continuing to occur in the northern province of Niassa, the epicenter of the disease.
This is preventing the authorities from declaring the end of the outbreak, despite the significant number of recoveries.
Mpox (formerly known as monkey pox) is an infectious viral disease that can occur in human and other animals. It was initially called monkey pox because it was first identified in laboratory monkeys.
According to Aleny Couto, Deputy National Director of Public Health cited by the Portuguese News Agency Lusa, in order to declare the end of the outbreak, “we need 60 days without a positive case. Given that we are still identifying positive cases in Niassa province, we cannot, at this moment, declare the end of the Mpox outbreak.”
She revealed that Lago district, in Niassa, diagnosed one more case of the disease last week, bringing the total number of cases to 80.
She also denounced that infected people have not been complying with the need for isolation, “which harms those who are not infected.”
According to data from the National Directorate of Public Health, from July 11th to October 25th, out of a total of 89 positive cases, only 19 are still being monitored, in Tete and Niassa provinces. The other 70 are reported as recovered.
Since July, a total of 1,753 suspected cases have been registered and 1,713 laboratory tests have been carried out.
(AIM)
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