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Mpox in African countries

16 August 2024

The World Health Organization has announced the current outbreak of mpox in African countries is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) with potential to spread to other countries in and outside Africa. 

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports 13 African countries have recorded cases in the latest update of 9 August 2024.

Countries affected are:

Burundi: 225 cases

Cameroon: 35 cases (2 deaths)

Central African Republic: 258 cases

Congo: 169 cases (1 death)

Cote d'Ivoire: 2 cases

Democratic Republic of Congo: 16 789 cases (511 deaths)

Ghana: 4 cases

Liberia: 5 cases

Kenya: 1 case

Nigeria: 24 cases

Rwanda: 2 cases

South Africa: 24 cases (3 deaths)

Uganda: 2 cases

Advice to Travellers

Mpox is a zoonotic infection that is rarely seen in travellers arriving from African countries.

Transmission between people occurs through close skin to skin contact (including during sexual contact), or through droplet spread during close contact with a person infected with mpox.

Symptoms in people commence with fever, a flu-like illness and swollen glands followed by the development of a blistering skin rash, resembling chickenpox.

Travellers should:

  • observe meticulous hand hygiene if visiting or caring for ill friends and relatives
  • avoid contact with primates and rodents and avoid consuming undercooked meat from these sources
  • wear protective clothing, including gloves, if involved in the slaughter or care of animals in countries where this mpox

Travellers to any destination who may be sexually active during travel (including GBMSM) should:

  • be aware of the risk of mpox
  • practise safe sex
  • avoid close, including sexual contact with someone who is unwell and may have mpox

Travellers should be advised to seek medical help during, or for 21 days after travel if they develop symptoms of mpox and have:

  • had close contact with someone who may have mpox, or
  • returned from African countries where mpox is present. These travellers should also be screened for malaria.

While a vaccine specifically against mpox is not available, the smallpox vaccine provides some protection.

For further information see Mpox, Sexual Health Risks and LGBT travellers

Advice to travellers will be updated as appropriate.