Uganda reported two cases of mpox on Friday, which were imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the western district of Kasese.
The cases were among six suspected infections identified in Mpondwe and Bwera, towns near the DRC border, according to a statement from Henry Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services at Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
The infected individuals include a 37-year-old Ugandan woman married to a Congolese national and a 22-year-old Congolese woman. Both tested positive for the viral disease.
Mwebesa confirmed that the transmission did not occur within Uganda and that no secondary cases have been linked to the two reported infections. “Currently, nine contacts are under follow-up. Uganda is closely monitoring the situation in the DRC, where cases have been reported across nearly all provinces, with recent outbreaks in North Kivu, specifically Goma,” he said. A rapid response team has been deployed to Kasese to work with local authorities in managing the situation.
The East African Community (EAC) issued an alert on Monday, advising its eight member states to educate their populations on protecting themselves and preventing the spread of mpox. This alert followed warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) about outbreaks in Burundi and the DRC, both EAC members.
In related news, Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed a case of mpox on Wednesday in Taita Taveta, located southeast of the capital, Nairobi.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, spreads through close contact with infected animals or humans, contaminated objects, and respiratory droplets. Symptoms include skin rash, fever, severe headache, muscle aches, back pain, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes, according to WHO guidelines.
