MOSCOW, August 17 (Sputnik) - More than 17,500 cases of mpox infection and 517 deaths related to the disease have been reported in 13 of the 55 African Union countries since the beginning of this year, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
"Since the start of 2024, a total of 17,541 cases (2,822 confirmed and 14,719 suspected) and 517 deaths due to Mpox have been reported across 13 AU Member States," Ramaphosa said in a statement released by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday.
Suspected cases of mpox were reported in three more African Union countries this week, potentially bringing the total number of countries in the organization with reported cases to 16, Ramaphosa added.
"Alarmingly, the number of reported cases in 2024 has surged by 160% compared to the same period in 2023," the president said.
On Thursday, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Health Minister Roger Kamba said that more than 540 people have died from mpox in the DRC since the beginning of 2024, with 15,664 potential cases reported in the country during the same period.
On Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern.
Initial symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. A rash may develop, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.