The African Union Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced that the number of deaths related to M-pox virus has reached 1100 across the continent. Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya shared updated data on the M-pox virus with the press, revealing that 3051 new cases of M-pox were identified in the past week, with 50 fatalities reported in the outbreak. Kaseya also disclosed that new cases were reported in Zimbabwe and Zambia. He stated that the outbreak has spread to 18 countries in Africa, with the number of cases rising to 42,438 and the death toll reaching 1100. Furthermore, Kaseya mentioned that 86% of M-pox cases were detected in the Central African region.

M-pox virus is transmitted from rodents such as mice and squirrels or from infected individuals. Touching the body rashes caused by the virus, using clothes, sheets, towels, or other items contaminated with these rashes, and coming into contact with bodily fluids are among the main transmission reasons. Symptoms can appear within 5 to 21 days after contracting the virus, typically including high fever, headache, back and muscle pain, swelling of lymph nodes, fatigue, chills, shivering, and blister-like rashes on the skin. There is no specific treatment for the disease, and it is managed with antiviral drugs. Most cases experience a mild illness and recover within a few weeks. The World Health Organization (WHO) changed the name of the disease from “monkeypox” to “M-pox” in 2022 due to concerns regarding racism and discrimination.