The World Health Organization has verified instances of monkeypox transmission through sexual contact in the Democratic Republic of Congo, primarily in the northern and central regions.
The outbreak, linked to sexual contact among men who have sex with men, began with a Belgian man testing positive for clade I in Kenge, Kwango province.
Subsequent cases emerged among those who had sexual contact with him, marking the first reported instance of clade I MPXV infection through sexual transmission within a cluster.
With a significant rise in suspected cases, totaling 12,569 with 581 deaths, the WHO expresses concern over the outbreak’s rapid growth.
The Ministry of Public Health has devised a budgeted national monkeypox preparedness and response plan.
The WHO advises all countries to implement preventive measures and follow standing recommendations for epidemiological surveillance, diagnostic capacities, community engagement, vaccine availability, case management, research, and support for rapid diagnostic methods and tailored treatments.
