Brazzaville, Congo proclaims an mpox outbreak

The Republic of the Congo has proclaimed an mpox epidemic following the confirmation of 19 cases in five departments, including Brazzaville, the country’s capital.

Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki stated in a statement on Tuesday that no deaths have been reported as of yet.

He urged people to take preventative measures, such as keeping their distance from suspected cases, staying away from animals, and not touching game meat with their bare hands.

The World Health Organization (WHO) replaced the previous word “monkeypox” with “mpox” due to concerns about racism and stigma attached to the name.

The WHO states that the first human cases of mpox were discovered in 1970 in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Fever, pains, and skin sores are among the symptoms.

A pandemic that reached North America and Europe in 2022 was deemed a global health emergency by the WHO.