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The Health Ministry of Cameroon says the country now has recorded two deaths from the Mpox virus, with six confirmed cases and 40 suspected ones since April.
“Since the resurgence of this disease in April 2024, Cameroon has reported 46 suspected mpox cases, six of which are confirmed, with two deaths”, said Health Minister Malachie Manaouda.
However, the health ministry stated that outbreak is not linked to the new, more virulent Clade 1b strain of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency over mpox four weeks ago after a surge in cases of the Clade 1b strain in DR Congo which spread to neighboring countries.
Since then, “Cameroonian authorities have strengthened surveillance, vaccination and awareness measures to prevent a possible local outbreak”, said the ministry. As of late last month, mpox has been reported in 14 African countries.
Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. When it becomes complicated, it could lead to pneumonia, sepsis, and loss of vision.
According to WHO, the first reported human case of mpox was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. “Over 120 countries have reported mpox between Jan 2022 – Aug 2024, with over 100 000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported and over 220 death among confirmed cases.”
The Africa Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reportedly secured 3.6 million vaccines in total for African countries and first batches are being distributed.
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