Burundi’s Health Minister announced a total of 171 confirmed cases of mpox on August 22, with the first cases reported just last month.
According to ministry spokesperson Polycarpe Ndayikeza, as of Wednesday evening, 137 of these cases remain active across at least 26 of the country’s 49 health districts. Fortunately, there have been no reported deaths from mpox in Burundi so far.
Burundi identified its first three mpox cases at the end of July, and the number of confirmed cases had risen to 153 by August 18. The Health Ministry official confirmed that the virus variant currently circulating in Burundi is the same one affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This new variant, clade 1b, which emerged in the DRC in September, has been linked to a resurgence of mpox cases across Africa, and has also been detected in other East African countries, Sweden, and Asia. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on August 14 due to the new variant’s increased transmissibility and severity.
Mpox, a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and through close physical contact, is characterized by fever, muscle pain, and skin lesions.