DRC - Mpox (monkeypox) outbreak 2024

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Outbreak of suspected cases of Monkeypox in the DRC: more than 220 notifications in one week

Wednesday March 27, 2024 - 2:53 p.m.

The Monkeypox coordination of the Ministry of Health specified in its report that it had notified 228 new suspected cases of Monkeypox during epidemiological week 11 (March 15 to 22, 2024).

“228 new suspected cases and 8 deaths reported (case fatality = 3.5%) in SE 11 of 2024. Seven out of 27 provincial health divisions reported cases, or 27%. The ZS of Lotumbe in the province of Équateur reported the highest number of cases in S11, i.e. 85 cases and 1 death (case fatality = 1.2%), followed by Budjala, in Sud-Ubangi (35 cases / 2 deaths) and Bikoro, in Ecuador (21 cases / 0 deaths),” says the Monkeypox coordination report.

According to this branch of the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention, children under 15 are the most affected. They represent 70% of suspected cases and 87% of deaths. The accumulation of cases over the years shows that in 2022, 5,697 suspected cases were reported, with 234 deaths (4.1%); in 2023, 14,626 suspected cases, and 654 deaths (4.46%); and in 2024 (S1-S8): 4,169 suspected cases; 279 deaths (6.7%).

The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and some organizations in the health sector proceeded on Tuesday, February 27 to develop a response plan for the Monkeypox epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Therese Ntumba

https://actualite.cd/index.php/2024/03/27/flambee-de-cas-suspects-de-monkeypox-en-rdc-plus-de-220-notifications-en-une-semaine

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 3 April 2024

3 April 2024
...
Now to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is experiencing a severe outbreak of mpox.

More than 4500 suspected cases and almost 300 deaths have been reported so far this year – triple the number of cases and deaths reported in the first quarter of last year.

Nineteen of DRC’s 26 provinces have reported cases, and 70% of cases and 87% of deaths are in children under 15 years of age.

While mpox is spread among children by close contact, there is also a concerning outbreak among adults due to sexual transmission in previously unaffected areas.

These outbreaks are being caused by clade one of the virus that causes mpox, which has been present in DRC for decades, and can cause higher mortality than the clade two virus that spread globally in 2022.

WHO and our partners, including Africa CDC, are supporting the Ministry of Health to respond to the outbreak and to assess mpox vaccines.

However, additional funding is needed to expand and sustain the response, and ensure the virus does not spread to neighbouring countries.

WHO has called consistently for more attention to better understand and stop mpox transmission in Africa, and to improve clinical care and access to vaccines.

At its meeting last month, WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, SAGE, also issued a call to action to enhance access to mpox vaccines; to improve regulatory and procurement processes; to ensure research is embedded in emergency vaccine deployment; and to invest in research capacity in Africa.

The mpox outbreak is one of several overlapping crises in the DRC.

There are also outbreaks of measles and cholera, severe flooding in more than half of provinces, and since the beginning of this year, more than 350,000 people have been displaced, mostly because of armed conflict.

===

https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---3-april-2024

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South Kivu: 3 deaths out of 239 cases of Monkey pox reported in 6 months

Published on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 19:10 | Modified on game, 04/04/2024 - 19:10

Three people died out of 239 cases of Monkey pox recorded in six months in the province of South Kivu.

The health information officer at the South Kivu Provincial Health Division, Dr. Justin Bengehya, delivered this information on Thursday, April 4, to the press.

According to him, the largest outbreak of this monkeypox is the territory of Mwenga which alone has 160 cases including three deaths.

The city of Bukavu records three cases of Monkey pox in two of its health zones, said Dr. Justin Bengehya.

He returned to the strategies put in place to cut the chain of transmission of this pathology:

“To avoid the spread of the disease, we must decontaminate households around cases, strengthen communication in the community and community-based surveillance or we must empower community relays on the measures that must be taken.”

The Provincial Health Division in South Kivu also specified that all patients due to Monkey pox benefit from free care, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

https://www.radiookapi.net/2024/04/04/actualite/sante/sud-kivu-3-deces-sur-les-239-cas-de-monkey-pox-notifies-en-6-mois

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Mpox epidemic: the DRC will urgently approve two vaccines and a treatment

In one year, the number of cases of monkeypox has tripled in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus has caused 300 deaths there since the start of the year, particularly in the East.

By Sandrine Berthaud-Clair (Kinshasa, special correspondent)
Published today at 2:45 p.m.

Far from European capitals where its appearance, in the summer of 2022, had panicked minds, the mpox virus (for “ monkeypox” , monkey pox) continues to spread in Central Africa. In the most affected country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the number of contaminations has tripled since the start of the year compared to the same period in 2023, with 4,500 cases including 300 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A surge that the authorities hope to contain by accelerating vaccination and the prescription of antivirals.

At the end of an emergency regional meeting which ended on the evening of Saturday April 13, the Congolese health authorities will therefore proceed with the emergency approval of two vaccines which have already proven their worth for children as for adults: the LC16m8, developed in Japan, and the MVA-BN, from the Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic.

On the treatment side, taking inspiration from the Ebola crisis which had devastated several countries on the continent, the Congolese Minister of Health, Roger Kamba, also announced that the specific antiviral Tecovirimat would obtain marketing authorization . under exceptional circumstances” within three months, so that it can be administered on the ground by all health stakeholders, including NGOs.

Organized by the pan-African health agency, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa), the two-day conference also aimed to create a steering committee including countries from Central and Western Africa. West affected by the epidemic or likely to be affected.

Fever, diarrhea and rash

Since the start of the year, the DRC has been facing the acceleration of the spread of the virus, particularly in the east of the country, torn apart by fighting between the regular army and its militia allies and the rebels of the 23 Movement. -Mars (M23), supported by the Rwandan army. According to the Africa CDC, more than 19,000 cases were recorded between February 2023 and February 2024, including 1,000 deaths, with children under 5 years old accounting for one in ten deaths. Researchers are particularly concerned about the emergence of a more predominantly sexual transmission, notably through prostitution, and the high mortality which affects children up to 15 years old.

The virus, discovered in 1958 in Basankusu, in the Congolese province of Equateur, resurfaced in the DRC in 2017, from where it gradually spread to Africa, before reaching Europe and North America, pushing the WHO to declare the epidemic a “public health emergency” in July 2022.

The disease, which manifests itself by outbreaks of fever, diarrhea and skin rashes, is particularly “stigmatizing, debilitating and impoverishing” , recalled the WHO director for Africa, Doctor Matshidiso Moeti, who indicated that screening kits have been distributed in large numbers and that resources must be further increased to accelerate the screening and sequencing of the virus. Community engagement must also be strengthened and “pedagogical work must be carried out in order to counter misinformation by feeding ourselves with the experience of Covid”, she added.

“The ambition of the Africa CDC is to collectively move from speech to action for this epidemic that has been killing people for too long,” Jean Kaseya, the head of the continental agency, explains to Le Monde . And that the decisions that are made are based on scientific realities. It was the convincing work of the researchers who presented their work that won support. Africa must speak with one voice. »

“The DRC was able to seize this crucial moment to accelerate the response to an epidemic whose scale requires us to mobilize generally ,” welcomed Emmanuel Lampaert, coordinator of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) missions in Central Africa.

Sandrine Berthaud-Clair (Kinshasa, special correspondent)

https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/04/15/epidemie-de-mpox-la-rdc-va-homologuer-en-urgence-deux-vaccins-et-un-traitement_6227992_3212.html

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Mutated strain of mpox with ‘pandemic potential’ found in DRC mining town

Researchers call for ‘swift action’ to halt the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo as experts warn virus is ‘not over’

Sarah Newey,
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY CORRESPONDENT
16 April 2024 • 5:13pm

A concerning new strain of mpox with “pandemic potential” has been found in a mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to new research.

The paper – a pre-print which is being pored over by global experts – calls for “swift action” from the international community if another international mpox outbreak is to be averted.
...
In the first quarter of 2024 alone, 3,576 people were infected and 264 killed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Two thirds of cases and 85 per cent of fatalities were among children.

Now a mutated strain of this clade 1 virus has been discovered in Kamituga – a poor and densely packed gold mining town with a highly itinerant population just 170 miles from the Rwandan border.

Named “clade 1b”, the virus appears to be better at spreading between people, predominantly via sexual contact, and has mutations that evade detection by some existing tests.

“Without intervention, this localised Kamituga outbreak harbors the potential to spread nationally and internationally,” say the authors who found 108 confirmed cases of the new strain.

...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/mpox-outbreak-kamituga-democratic-republic-of-congo-africa/

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Sustained Human Outbreak of a New MPXV Clade I Lineage in
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Authors:

Emmanuel H. Vakaniaki, MD1*; Cris Kaciat, MD2*; Eddy Kinganda-Lusamaki, MD, MSc1,3,4*;
Áine O’Toole, PhD5*; Tony Wawina-Bokalanga, MD, MSc, PhD1,3,6; Daniel Mukadi-Bamuleka,
MD, PhD1,3,7; Adrienne Amuri Aziza, MSc1
; Yves Mujula1
; Edyth Parker, PhD8
; Pauline-Chloé
Muswamba-Kayembe, MSc1
; Sabin S. Nundu1
; Robert S. Lushima2
; Jean Claude Makangara
Cigolo, MD1,3; Noella Mulopo-Mukanya7
; Elisabeth Pukuta Simbu1
; Prince Akil-Bandali1
; Hugo
Kavunga, MD, PhD1,7; Koen Vercauteren, PhD6
; Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, MD, CTropMed9,10,11;
Edward J Mills, PhD, MPH12; Olivier Tshiani-Mbaya, MD13; Nicole A. Hoff, PhD14; Anne W.
Rimoin, PhD14; Lisa E. Hensley, PhD15; Jason Kindrachuk, PhD16; Ahidjo Ayouba,
PhD4
; Martine Peeters, PhD4
; Eric Delaporte, MD, PhD4
; Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, MD, PhD1,3;
Jean B. Nachega, MD, PhD, MPH17,18,19; Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, MD, PhD1,3; Andrew
Rambaut, PhD5
; Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD6, 20; Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, MD, PhD1,3;
for the Mpox Research Consortium**
*Equal contributions; ** Full list of the Mpox Research Consortium available in Supplemental
...
ABSTRACT

Background: Monkeypox virus (MPXV) attracted global attention in 2022 during a widespread
outbreak linked primarily to sexual contact. Clade I MPXV is prevalent in Central Africa and
characterized by severe disease and high mortality, while Clade II is confined to West Africa and
associated with milder illness. A Clade IIb MPXV emerged in Nigeria in 2017, with protracted
human-to-human transmission a forerunner of the global Clade II B.1 lineage outbreak in 2022.
In October 2023, a large mpox outbreak emerged in the Kamituga mining region of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), of which we conducted an outbreak investigation.
Methods: Surveillance data and hospital records were collected between October 2023 and
January 2024. Blood samples and skin/oropharyngeal swabs were obtained for molecular
diagnosis at the National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa. MPXV genomes were
sequenced and analyzed using Illumina NextSeq 2000 and bioinformatic tools.

Results: The Kamituga mpox outbreak spread rapidly, with 241 suspected cases reported within
5 months of the first reported case. Of 108 confirmed cases, 29% were sex workers, highlighting
sexual contact as a key mode of infection. Genomic analysis revealed a distinct MPXV Clade Ib
lineage, divergent from previously sequenced Clade I strains in DRC. Predominance of
APOBEC3-type mutations and estimated time of emergence around mid-September 2023
suggest recent human-to-human transmission.

Conclusions: Urgent measures, including reinforced, expanded surveillance, contact tracing,
case management support, and targeted vaccination are needed to contain this new pandemicpotential Clade Ib outbreak.

...

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.12.24305195v1.full.pdf

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Equateur: around 241 deaths out of 3,000 cases of Monkey pox reported in 4 months

Published on Thu, 04/18/2024 - 5:45 p.m. | Modified the game, 04/18/2024 - 17:46

Around 241 people died from Monkey pox out of 3,000 cases reported in 4 months in the province of Equateur.

The Provincial Epidemiological Surveillance Unit delivered these figures on Wednesday April 17 in Mbandaka.

This pathology is prevalent in 17 of Equateur's 18 health zones, she said.

According to the same source, the Lotumbe health zone is the most affected with 2,127 reported cases while the least affected remains Lilanga-Bobangi with 5 cases.

Furthermore, with its three health zones, the city of Mbandaka has already crossed the threshold of 63 cases, with a few deaths.

Due to a lack of resources and medicines, the villagers rarely go to the hospital and prefer to resort to indigenous treatment, from healers while others from pastors but without the slightest respect for barrier measures.

This neglect of hygiene has contributed enormously to the rapid spread of this disease, say experts, who call for urgent intervention by national authorities.

In the health zones of Boleke and Monyeka, several cases of death have been recorded due to lack of appropriate care.

Everywhere, healthcare workers are managing to care for patients, except in the two health zones supported by MSF/Belgium.

To date, only the territory of Makanza (Equateur) has not yet reported cases.

https://www.radiookapi.net/2024/04/18/actualite/sante/equateur-environ-241-deces-sur-3-000-cas-de-monkey-pox-notifies-en-4-mois

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Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202404300003.html

Congo-Kinshasa: Mpox - Why the Virus's Continued, Rapid Mutation Since the 2022 Global Outbreak Remains a Concern
29 April 2024
The Conversation Africa (Johannesburg)
By Cheryl Walter

In 2022, as the world was slowly beginning to recover from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of mpox - then still called monkeypox - began spreading at an alarming rate in many countries worldwide. Confirmed cases were cropping up in places where the disease wasn't normally present (endemic) - and it was spreading quickly among certain groups.

Global mpox infections have fallen significantly since the height of this outbreak. But a recent paper, which has not yet been peer reviewed, has renewed concerns about the potential for mpox to cause another global outbreak like that seen in 2022.

The researchers, who analysed mpox samples from patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), discovered a new cluster of mpox variants. This cluster is genetically distinct from the variants that were circulating in 2022 - and alarmingly, this variant has evolved rapidly.

However, this is just one example of the way mpox has continued to evolve since the 2022 outbreak...

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Mai-Ndombe Province
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai-Ndombe_Province

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Maï-Ndombe: one death due to Monkeypox recorded in Nyoki

May 3, 2024

Inongo, May 2, 2024 (ACP).- One death in five cases of Mpox or monkeypox has been recorded since the start of the epidemic in Nyoki in the territory of Inongo, in the province of Maï-Ndombe (west of the Democratic Republic of Congo), contrary to a rumor reporting 5 deaths, we learned Thursday during an interview.

“ Since the start of the epidemic, we have recorded 5 cases in Nyoki village including one death. The outbreak in this village was reported on March 1, 2024. Currently, there are no cases of death, contrary to what is being said on social media, reporting 5 deaths ,” said Dr. Blanchard Bile, chief medical officer of the urban-rural health zone of Inongo. And added: “ Measures have been taken to strengthen surveillance, pre-position medications as well as intensify community awareness .”

Dr Bile called on the population of his health zone to change their behavior to prevent the epidemic of monkeypox. These include avoiding hunting and eating small wild mammals, cooking meat thoroughly before consumption, avoiding contact with a sick or dead animal, and avoiding contact with an infected person. . ACP/

https://acp.cd/sante/mai-ndombe-un-deces-du-au-monkeypox-enregistre-a-nyoki/

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May 7, 2024 Press Releases

New variant of monkeypox virus (mpox) causes outbreak in DRC mining town

International health organizations sound the alarm




Researchers from the Congolese National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (IMT) in Belgium have identified a mutant strain of the mpox virus during an outbreak in Kamituga, a densely populated mining town of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The new variant of the virus is transmitted mainly sexually and could spread to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization is calling for action to stop the spread.

In 2022, the West African variant of the mpox virus, strain II, caused a global epidemic. In a few months, infections are decreasing in Europe, but in Central Africa, and more particularly in the DRC, the virus continues to claim more and more victims. In October 2023, an epidemic in Kamituga, where mpox is not normally present, saw the first cases appear. Within five months, the new variant of the virus has spread rapidly, particularly among adolescents and young adults, nearly 30% of whom are sex workers.

Risks for surrounding regions

The outbreak is likely to spread beyond the current area, with risks to surrounding areas and even across national borders. This threat is compounded by the high mobility of the region's population, including minors and sex workers, which increases the likelihood of the virus spreading.

Aberrant transmission model

The atypical and virulent transmission of the new variant makes the situation worrying. Unlike the usual transmission of the virus in the DRC, from animals to humans, this variant appears to be spread mainly through sexual contact between men. Additionally, mutations make the virus undetectable by some PCR tests. This complicates the fight against the epidemic.

" Faced with growing concerns about the sexual transmission of this variant, there is an urgent need to develop a new strategy integrating mpox into HIV/AIDS and STI prevention programs. To do this, it is important to focus on key groups and to avoid stigmatization at all costs ", explains the last author of the study, Professor Placide Mbala-Kingebeni of the INRB in Kinshasa.

An urgent need for action and vaccines

“ Together with our partners in the DRC, we are doing everything we can to investigate the outbreak and assess whether a vaccination campaign can contain the spread of this more aggressive variant ,” says Laurens Liesenborghs, professor of clinical emerging infectious diseases at IMT . “ If we do not strengthen surveillance and contact tracing and deploy vaccines that we also use in Europe, the local epidemic risks spreading nationally and even internationally. facing obstacles such as logistical problems and insufficient funding for local health infrastructure "

The project was carried out with the support of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) and the Scientific Research Fund (FWO - Nationaal Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek).

The scientific publication referred to in this press release is currently available in preprint form and has not yet been evaluated by (inter)national reading committees.
...

https://www.itg.be/fr/histoires-de-s...iere-de-la-rdc

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DRC: current monkeypox epidemic “seriously worrying” (WHO)

By :　| Keywords: monkeypox, WHO, DRC, Health
French.china.org.cn　| Updated on 07-05-2024

A total of 25,318 suspected cases of monkeypox, including 1,204 deaths, have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the monkeypox outbreak was declared in December 2022, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Health (WHO), warning that the current situation was “gravely worrying”.

According to the latest report released on Tuesday, the outbreak, which was declared by the DRC Ministry of Health on December 16, 2022, was caused by a notable increase in cases and deaths associated with monkeypox as well as a rapid spread to non-endemic provinces.

Since the start of 2024, a total of 5,133 suspected cases, including 321 deaths, have been reported, the WHO report said, warning that the current situation of the monkeypox epidemic in the DRC is "severely of concern", due to the sustained increase in suspected cases compared to previous years, with a significant burden among younger populations, particularly children under 15 years of age, who constitute the majority of suspected cases and deaths.

In April 2024, an emergency high-level regional meeting on monkeypox in Africa was convened in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC, bringing together twelve health ministers from the African region, with the aim of developing strategies to prevent and intervene effectively against monkeypox in Africa.

“We must prevent the DRC from becoming the source of cross-border transmission, and our partnership must prioritize the health of those affected,” said the director general of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya.

“Over the years, monkeypox has become a real public health problem for our communities in the DRC, a regional threat and ultimately a global problem. We must now mobilize to resolve this crisis,” declared Roger Kamba, Congolese Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention.
...

http://french.china.org.cn/foreign/txt/2024-05/07/content_117172690.htm#:~:text=Un%20total%20de%2025.318%20cas,la%20situation%20actuelle%20%C3%A9tait%20%22gravement

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Situation Report Nº013 (April 29 - May 5, 2024)

Format Situation Report Sources

• Govt. DR Congo
• WHO

Posted 14 May 2024 Originally published 14 May 2024

Attachments

• Download Report(PDF | 889.88 KB)

CONTEXT
▪ On December 16, 2022, the National Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention (MSPHP) declared by official press release a nationwide epidemic of monkeypox in the DRC.
▪ In February 2023, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP) established Simian Smallpox Incident Management.
▪ In 2023, a cumulative number of 14,626 suspected cases were reported with 654 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 4.5%. The increase in cases observed during 2023 in the DRC, as well as the newly documented sexual transmission in March in certain DPS (Kwango) and in July – September 2023 (Kinshasa, South Kivu), confirm the growing importance of human-to-human transmission. of monkeypox, including sexual transmission.

https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/la-variole-simienne-monkeypox-en-republique-democratique-du-congo-rapport-de-la-situation-epidemiologique-sitrep-no013-29-avril-05-mai-2024

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From the PDF link above:

29 April - 05 May

REPORT ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION OF
MPOX IN THE DRC

Lower Uele, North Ubangi, South Ubangi, Mongala, Lower Uele, Upper Uele, Tshopo, Tshuapa, Sankuru, Eastern Kasai, Central Kasai,
The towns of Kwilu, Maindombe, Kinshasa, Equateur, Maniema, South Kivu, Ituri

6514 Suspicious case accumulation 345 Cumulative Deaths 5.3% Lethality 1265 Sample

Context

▪ On December 16, 2022, the National Minister of Health
public, hygiene and prevention (MSPHP) declared by
official statement an epidemic of monkeypox in
nationally in the DRC.
▪ In February 2023, the Emergency Operations Center
public health (COUSP) has set up the Management of
The Monkey Smallpox Incident.
▪ In 2023, a cumulative number of 14,626 suspected cases have been reported
with 654 deaths, a lethality of 4.5%. The increase
cases observed during 2023 in the DRC, as well as the
newly documented sexual transmission in March
in certain DPS (Kwango) and in July – September
2023 (Kinshasa, South Kivu), confirm the importance
increasing human-to-human transmission of smallpox
simian, including sexual transmission.

Highlights

457 new suspected cases and 11 new deaths (fatality = 2.4%) reported during epidemiological week 18 (S18) 2024
▪ The cumulative number of cases from S1-S18 is 6,514 suspected cases and 345 deaths (lethality of 5.3%)
▪ 60 new cases confirmed out of 102 samples tested in the laboratory at W18 (positivity rate 58.8%)
▪ The cumulative number of confirmed cases from S1-S18 is 755 confirmed cases out of 1,265 samples tested in the laboratory (positivity rate
66.3%)
▪ 21/26 provinces (80.8%) reported at least one suspected case in 2024
▪ Deployment of the SGI-Mpox team and ACoDD in the province of Equateur, considered the epicenter of the epidemic
in the DRC

EPIDEMILOGICAL SITUATION

During epidemiological week 18 2024, 457 new suspected cases of monkeypox were reported
in 15/26 provinces with 11 deaths (lethality of 2.4%), with a cumulative of 6514 suspected cases and 345 reported deaths
H1-H18 2024, a lethality of 5.3%. Table 1 shows the distribution of suspected Mpox cases and deaths by province
in S18, and the province of Equateur comes first with 246 suspected cases and 9 deaths (lethality 3.7%). Figure 2 shows
the evolution of suspected cases and deaths as well as the lethality of S1-S18. The S8 reported the most suspected cases
(623 cases) and lethality was highest at S6 (9.4%).
...
During W18, 60 new cases were confirmed in the laboratory out of 102 samples tested, which gives a
positivity rate of 58.8%. The total is 755 cases confirmed in the laboratory out of 1,265 samples tested. Table
2 shows us the geographical distribution of confirmed Mpox cases by health zone (ZS) at S18, we note
that the Kamituga ZS reported the most confirmed cases compared to other health zones. Figure 3 shows us
shows the evolution of confirmed cases of Mpox by epidemiological week for 2023 and 2024. We observe that
since the beginning of 2024 until today (H1-H18), there is a significant increase in cases confirmed by
compared to the same period of the year 2023 and the trend of this increase is increasing.
...
Among confirmed cases, of 712 subjects with available sex data, 420 (59%) were male.
(figure 3). Figure 4 shows us that out of a total of 686 confirmed cases with age data available, 352
(51.3%) were over 15 years old; follow-up of subjects between 5 – 15 years, 255 (37.1%).
...

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Complex Humanitarian Crisis and Epidemics - Democratic Republic of Congo: Situation Report Week No 19 (from May 6 to 12, 2024)

Format Situation Report Source WHO Posted 29 May 2024 Originally published 29 May 2024

Epidemiological situation:

▪ MPox epidemic: From S1 to S19/2024, 6,872 suspected cases of MPox including 363 deaths
(lethality 5.3%) were recorded in 159 (30.6%) SZs of 20 provinces. Slight
downward trend in notification was observed in W19 at the end of which we
counted 521 new suspected cases and 14 deaths (fatality: 2.7%) distributed in 66 ZS of
13 provinces against 439 new suspected cases and 12 deaths (fatality: 2.7%) detected
in 59 HZs in 12 provinces by H18/2024.

https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/crise-humanitaire-complexe-et-epidemies-republique-democratique-du-congo-rapport-de-situation-semaine-no-19-du-6-au-12-may-2024

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Monkey pox: South Kivu exceeds 800 cases

Monday June 3, 2024 - 09:05

A total of 823 cases of Monkeypox or monkey pox have been recorded in the South Kivu province since October 2023, in less than 8 months. Through these cases, eight (8) deaths have already been recorded throughout the province of South Kivu.

In an address to the press last Saturday in Bukavu, Doctor Claude Bahizire, communications officer at the Provincial Health Division (DPS) underlines that the situation of this epidemic in the province is becoming more and more worrying.

"The situation is becoming more and more difficult. Every week, we record 70 to 80 cases of Monkeypox. For the moment, all 34 health zones in South Kivu are already affected," he explained.

In the process, Doctor Claude Bahizire informs that the most affected area is that of Mwenga with 519 cases notified alone and followed by the health zone of Nyangezi with 101 cases recorded. He invites the population to strengthen hygiene measures to protect themselves against this contagious disease.

It is also worth remembering that the very first case of Monkeypox in the province of South Kivu was confirmed on October 11, 2023.

Déogratias Cubaka, in Bukavu

https://7sur7.cd/2024/06/03/variole-de-singe-le-sud-kivu-depasse-la-barre-de-800-cas

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Report on the epidemiological situation of monkeypox (Mpox) in the DRC sitrep No 016 (May 20 - 26, 2024)

Format Situation Report Sources

• Govt. DR Congo
• WHO

Posted 12 Jun 2024 Originally published 12 Jun 2024

• Download Report(PDF | 1001.92 KB)

...

https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/rapport-de-la-situation-epidemiologique-de-la-variole-simienne-mpox-en-rdc-sitrep-no-016-20-26-mai-2024

------------------------------
From the PDF link above:


May 20 - 26, 2024

REPORT ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION OF
SIMIAN SMALLPOX (Mpox) IN THE DRC
...

HIGHLIGHTS

448 new suspected cases including 12 new deaths (fatality = 2.7%) reported during epidemiological week 21
(S21) 2024 in 12/22 affected provinces.
▪ The cumulative, from H1-H21 2024, is 7851 suspected cases and 384 deaths (lethality of 4.9%) reported in 22/26 provinces
(84.6%) and in 177/519 health zones (34.1%) of the DRC.
▪ 25 new cases confirmed by PCR out of 38 samples analyzed in the laboratory at H21 2024 (positivity rate 65.8%).
▪ The cumulative number of cases confirmed at the PCR of H1-H21 2024 is 981 cases out of 2813 samples tested in the laboratory (rate of
positivity 34.8%).


EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION

During epidemiological week 21, 2024, 448 new suspected cases including 12 deaths (lethality of 2.7%) of smallpox
simian disease were reported in 11/22 affected provinces. A total of 7851 suspected cases and 384 deaths were reported from S1-S21
2024, i.e. a lethality of 4.9%. Table 1 presents the distribution of suspected Mpox cases and deaths by province at W21, the
accumulation of cases and deaths from S1-S21 as well as the accumulation of suspected and confirmed cases at PCR by province.
Figure 1 shows the evolution of suspected cases and deaths as well as lethality from H1-H52 2023 to H1-H21 2024 in the DRC. In 2024,
S8 reported the most suspected cases (613 cases) and lethality was highest in S6 (9.4%). An increase in cases
suspects of Mpox is observed during the last 4 weeks.
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ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Province
Equateur

Domestic fauna
▪ Pigs: 36 suspected cases with 2
death ;
▪ Dogs: 13 suspected cases with
no deaths.

Wild fauna
▪ Squirrels: 75 suspected cases with
7 deaths;
▪ Wild rats: 88 suspected cases
with 12 deaths;
▪ Bats: 24 suspected cases
with 4 deaths.

Actions
▪ Collection of samples from
2 suspect dogs for analysis.

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