٠٠:٠٣:٣٠The Democratic Republic of Congo's Uvira General Referral Hospital opened up an mpox treatment centre where physicians say they've received 'over 500 suspected cases of mpox'.
Footage filmed on Saturday shows suspected mpox patients, including young children and babies, covered in skin lesions. Physicians can also be seen discussing the viral infection with patients at the treatment centre.
"I personally had malaria up to 40 degrees, so it was a high fever," said one local, Amina Germaine. "I was first treated at a health centre. After a week, I saw pimples appearing on my skin. When I was informed, I was quickly asked to go to the general hospital where they are treating this disease."
Health workers also called on local community to take precautions as the disease continues to rapidly spread across the country - and said hospitals also needed more support.
"They (facilities) need to have enough means to manage cases like this, if we have to hospitalise a patient here we also need to follow his family so that they can't contaminate other families," said Dr Faraja Mukika, a physician at the treatment centre.
"The patient may manifest fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and this will be followed by skin rashes," explained Dr Kazuba Bugale Patrick, an attending physician at the Reference General Hospital.
"There are people who are more exposed, like babies, who often have more serious complications; children and pregnant women are also more exposed," he added.
On Wednesday, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claimed that mpox is a 'public health emergency of international concern' due to its rapid spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other parts of Africa. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and a 2022 mpox surge in Europe.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the disease had been detected in 13 countries, with 96 percent of cases and deaths registered in DRC. This year, the organisation has documented over 14,000 cases and 524 fatalities in the DRC alone, while 38,465 cases have been registered across Africa since January 2022.
On Thursday, Sweden announced the first case of the more dangerous modification Clade 1 type in the country's capital. According to Sweden's Public Health Agency, this marks the first confirmed virus case outside Africa.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports. It causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or close contact with cases. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
Mpox is a viral infection that is transmissible both among humans and from animals to humans. According to the WHO, the virus can spread through close physical interactions and contaminated items such as bedding, clothing, or needles.
'Over 500 suspected cases' of mpox - Doctors in Uvira say babies, pregnant women 'more exposed' as disease spreads rapidly
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Uvira General Referral Hospital opened up an mpox treatment centre where physicians say they've received 'over 500 suspected cases of mpox'.
Footage filmed on Saturday shows suspected mpox patients, including young children and babies, covered in skin lesions. Physicians can also be seen discussing the viral infection with patients at the treatment centre.
"I personally had malaria up to 40 degrees, so it was a high fever," said one local, Amina Germaine. "I was first treated at a health centre. After a week, I saw pimples appearing on my skin. When I was informed, I was quickly asked to go to the general hospital where they are treating this disease."
Health workers also called on local community to take precautions as the disease continues to rapidly spread across the country - and said hospitals also needed more support.
"They (facilities) need to have enough means to manage cases like this, if we have to hospitalise a patient here we also need to follow his family so that they can't contaminate other families," said Dr Faraja Mukika, a physician at the treatment centre.
"The patient may manifest fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and this will be followed by skin rashes," explained Dr Kazuba Bugale Patrick, an attending physician at the Reference General Hospital.
"There are people who are more exposed, like babies, who often have more serious complications; children and pregnant women are also more exposed," he added.
On Wednesday, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claimed that mpox is a 'public health emergency of international concern' due to its rapid spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other parts of Africa. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and a 2022 mpox surge in Europe.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the disease had been detected in 13 countries, with 96 percent of cases and deaths registered in DRC. This year, the organisation has documented over 14,000 cases and 524 fatalities in the DRC alone, while 38,465 cases have been registered across Africa since January 2022.
On Thursday, Sweden announced the first case of the more dangerous modification Clade 1 type in the country's capital. According to Sweden's Public Health Agency, this marks the first confirmed virus case outside Africa.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports. It causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or close contact with cases. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
Mpox is a viral infection that is transmissible both among humans and from animals to humans. According to the WHO, the virus can spread through close physical interactions and contaminated items such as bedding, clothing, or needles.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Uvira General Referral Hospital opened up an mpox treatment centre where physicians say they've received 'over 500 suspected cases of mpox'.
Footage filmed on Saturday shows suspected mpox patients, including young children and babies, covered in skin lesions. Physicians can also be seen discussing the viral infection with patients at the treatment centre.
"I personally had malaria up to 40 degrees, so it was a high fever," said one local, Amina Germaine. "I was first treated at a health centre. After a week, I saw pimples appearing on my skin. When I was informed, I was quickly asked to go to the general hospital where they are treating this disease."
Health workers also called on local community to take precautions as the disease continues to rapidly spread across the country - and said hospitals also needed more support.
"They (facilities) need to have enough means to manage cases like this, if we have to hospitalise a patient here we also need to follow his family so that they can't contaminate other families," said Dr Faraja Mukika, a physician at the treatment centre.
"The patient may manifest fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and this will be followed by skin rashes," explained Dr Kazuba Bugale Patrick, an attending physician at the Reference General Hospital.
"There are people who are more exposed, like babies, who often have more serious complications; children and pregnant women are also more exposed," he added.
On Wednesday, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claimed that mpox is a 'public health emergency of international concern' due to its rapid spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other parts of Africa. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and a 2022 mpox surge in Europe.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the disease had been detected in 13 countries, with 96 percent of cases and deaths registered in DRC. This year, the organisation has documented over 14,000 cases and 524 fatalities in the DRC alone, while 38,465 cases have been registered across Africa since January 2022.
On Thursday, Sweden announced the first case of the more dangerous modification Clade 1 type in the country's capital. According to Sweden's Public Health Agency, this marks the first confirmed virus case outside Africa.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports. It causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or close contact with cases. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
Mpox is a viral infection that is transmissible both among humans and from animals to humans. According to the WHO, the virus can spread through close physical interactions and contaminated items such as bedding, clothing, or needles.