Congo says its mpox outbreak is over after 2 years and thousands of cases
AP News • • health
Key Points:
- Congo has officially declared the end of a two-year mpox outbreak that resulted in over 2,200 suspected deaths, with the government stating the situation is no longer a national emergency.
- The outbreak, which began in 2024, affected Congo and neighboring countries, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency, which was lifted in September.
- During the outbreak, the Africa CDC reported more than 161,000 suspected mpox cases in Congo, with around 37,000 confirmed through testing, and 2,286 suspected deaths, though only 127 were laboratory-confirmed.
- Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was initially identified in 1958 and traditionally spread through contact with infected animals, but in 2022 it was found to spread via sexual contact, causing outbreaks in over 70 previously unaffected countries.
- The disease typically causes fever and rash, with most patients recovering fully, although it can sometimes lead to serious illness.
