By Hamza Kyeyune
KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – The number of patients in Uganda infected with a new variant of the mpox virus has risen to 11, with a senior health official reporting that no deaths have occurred across the country as of Saturday.
Henry Gatyanga Mwebesa, director general of the Health Services of the Ministry of Health, told reporters in Kampala that all of the patients are infected with the clade 1b strain of the virus, which is believed to be a deadlier variant that can spread through skin-to-skin contact.
The country's health authorities first reported an outbreak of the disease on July 24, noting that it was imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).
Uganda shares borders with DR Congo, where the current outbreak began in January 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, after the new variant that appears to spread more easily between people, was identified, emphasizing that mpox is “not the new COVID.”
According to the WHO, the African region is now experiencing an increase in cases, with 14 countries affected.
Almost all reported cases across Africa are in DR Congo, where the majority of the over 500 mpox deaths have been recorded.
Mpox infections cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and they spread through close physical contact. It can also be spread by touching virus-infected objects like bedding, clothing, and towels.
The disease is usually mild, but it can be fatal.
Vaccines, which are thought to be an important measure in preventing the spread, arrived in DR Congo recently.