Rising mpox cases hit Mozambique’s Niassa hardest

Mozambique has reported a surge of monkey pox cases, with Niassa province the hardest hit. The northern province of Niassa in Mozambique is facing the most severe impact from the virus outbreak.

According to a statement released on Tuesday (15 July) by the country’s National Directorate of Public Health, 11 new mpox cases have been recorded in the past 48 hours, although no deaths have been reported so far.

Elina Massengele, governor of Niassa, told reporters that health authorities have stepped up efforts to prevent further spread of the disease.

“We already have five cases here. We were at three initially, but the numbers continue to rise. Many people are still being tested. This disease is contagious, so we must be cautious,” said Massengele.

A technical team, organised jointly by the Ministry of Health, the National Directorate of Public Health, and the National Institute of Health, is overseeing the treatment of patients, identifying and quarantining close contacts, strengthening epidemiological surveillance, and promoting awareness among the population.

It is worth noting that Mozambique recorded its first mpox cases in 2022, in the capital city, Maputo.

Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease (spreading between animals and people) first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Symptoms include a painful rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, headache, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. The rash usually begins on the face and then spreads but can start in other areas of the body where there's been contact with the virus.

In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the second time, following an increase in cases and deaths—particularly from the more severe Clade I strain—in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring African countries. 

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