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During a press conference on 14 January 2016, the public health minister of Central African Republic (CAR) confirmed an outbreak of monkeypox virus in the country. The outbreak is occurring in Mbomou prefecture in the southeast of the country; monkeypox virus has been laboratory confirmed by the Ministry of Health. Two fatal cases have been reported and several cases have been quarantined.
Monkeypox virus infection was first identified in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. The current outbreak is the third to occur in CAR; the first was in Mbomou in 2001, and the second in Haute Kotto in 2014.
(Via Journal de Bangui (in French) - accessed 20/01/16)
Monkeypox virus infection is a rare disease and not a risk for most travellers.
Monkeypox virus most commonly occurs in remote, rural, rainforest villages. It is a sporadic zoonotic infection similar to modified smallpox and is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal or by handling the animal’s blood, body fluids or lesions. Animals include monkeys, squirrels, rats, mice and rabbits.
Infection can rarely be transmitted by close contact with an infected person via respiratory droplets. There is no specific treatment and prevention is by avoiding contact with infected animals and individuals.
