Democratic Republic of Congo: Monkeypox outbreak update

According to the Africa CDC’s Weekly Event Based Surveillance Report – Africa CDC Epidemic Intelligence Report dated 28 April 2024, the Ministry of Health reported 159 new suspected cases and two new deaths (Case Fatality Rate: 1.3%) of mpox across 10 provinces. This represents a 56% decrease in new cases compared to the previous update. In total, there have been 5,284 cases (319 confirmed and 4,965 suspected) and 322 deaths (Case Fatality Rate: 6.1%) reported from 23 of the 26 provinces in the DRC. Children aged 5 to 15 years constitute 70% of the total cases and 88% of the deaths. Among the confirmed cases, males represent 60%. The outbreak is currently being driven by the clade I strain of Mpox.