Guinea has surpassed 200 mpox cases since the outbreak was first detected, health officials told AFP on Friday.
This increase comes as several nearby countries are also reporting a recent surge in infections, prompting continued concern from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Sory Keira, a spokesperson for Guinea’s National Agency for Health Security (ANSS), confirmed a total of 206 cases in the country.
The outbreak, which began last September, has resulted in one death and 77 hospitalisations.
Understanding Mpox and Regional Spread
Mpox, caused by a virus related to smallpox, can spread from infected animals to humans and between people through close physical contact.
First identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the disease causes symptoms like fever, muscle aches, and distinctive boil-like skin lesions and can be fatal. It has two subtypes: clade 1 and clade 2.
While long endemic in Central Africa, clade 2 gained global attention in May 2022 when it spread worldwide, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.
Last month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the virus remains an international health emergency.
The WHO reaffirmed this in June, citing the “continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent.”
Beyond Guinea, the region is experiencing significant numbers. From January to late May of this year, Sierra Leone recorded 3,350 cases, with 16 deaths.
Liberia reported around 71 active cases in early June, and the WHO has noted thousands of cases this year across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi.
