DRC : over 15 thousand cases of monkeypox

In a report published on Friday, August 16, by the Ministry of Health, 15,664 cases of monkeypox contamination have been recorded since the beginning of this epidemic throughout the national territory. 548 cases of death have been recorded in the entities where the contamination rate is higher. In this report, Dr. Roger Nkamba, Minister of Public Health and Hygiene, said that mechanisms to combat the epidemic are still in force, especially in most affected provinces. Health authorities fear that this epidemic will spread throughout the country if drastic preventive measures are not taken.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

For the Ministry of Health, the province of South Kivu in the east is among the most affected in the DRC, with more than 4,000 cases.

According to the provincial health division in South Kivu, more than 4,000 cases of the epidemic have been detected in South Kivu, making it the second province most affected by this virus.

According to state health services, in this province, 29 health zones out of the 34 in South Kivu are affected by the disease.

Among these 29 health zones, four come first, notably the health zone of Nyangezi, with more than 800 cases, followed by that of Miti-Murhesa, Kamituga and that of Uvira.

And it is in these zones where the province’s efforts are concentrated.

Faced with this spread of the virus, health authorities recommend that the population go to a hospital as soon as possible if they have symptoms of the disease, including rashes or itching.

A patient of monkeypox in the DRC, DR

“For the moment, the high concentration is in the four health zones. But we are fighting to try to limit cases in other zones as well,” explained Dr. Claude Bahizire, responsible for communication at the provincial health division in South Kivu.

In order to limit the transmission of this disease, Claude Bahizire suggested that good prevention is first of all personal hygiene in general, proper hand washing with soap and also avoiding sharing clothes or bedding with a sick person or someone who has signs of monkeypox.

In addition, he called on the population to be careful. Everyone should check themselves each time and go to the nearest hospital at the first symptoms.

What do you need to know about the epidemic?

Monkeypox is what is called a viral zoonosis : an infectious disease transmitted to humans by an animal and caused by the virus of the same name.

It causes rashes or skin lesions, most often on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The virus is initially transmitted “by direct or indirect contact with blood, body fluids, skin lesions or mucous membranes of infected animals”, according to the WHO (World Health Organization).

Contact with respiratory secretions and skin lesions of sick people, or contaminated materials such as bedding or dishes, also presents high risks of transmission.

Recently, researchers have also become concerned about the emergence of transmission of monkeypox through sexual contact.

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A child caught by the monkeypox epidemic in the Congo, DR