The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) expects to diagnose ‘Disease X’, which has killed at least 79 people in the Panzi district of Kwango Province by the weekend, according to the country’s Director-General of Health, Dr Dieudonné Mwamba. “The disease is characterised by fever, headaches, cough and sometimes difficulty breathing,” Mwamba told a media briefing […] Continue reading ->
Despite having the second biggest mpox outbreak in Africa, Burundi has no immediate plans to vaccinate those at risk. Donated vaccine doses are available to Burundi for free but “vaccine hesitancy” might be playing a part in the government’s reluctance to vaccinate people, according to Dr Ngashi Ngongo, mpox lead for the Africa Centres for […] Continue reading ->
A method that first developed around polio elimination and matured during the COVID pandemic, is now being tested and used to track a much wider array of emerging disease threats. A unique symposium of scientists and public health experts at the Paris Sorbonne University last week looked at its promise and potential. In April 2020, […] Continue reading ->
African countries will soon use a PCR test for mpox developed by Moroccan company Moldiag that is cheaper than the Gene Xpert tests currently being used, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Infection (Africa CDC). “This test was approved after a number of tests were done in the [Democratic Republic of Congo] […] Continue reading ->
The US should lift its Marburg-related entry restrictions on people travelling from Rwanda as they are “killing” that country’s economy, according to Dr Jean Kaseya. The US requires people who have visited Rwanda in the past 21 days to fly to one of only three airports for health screening. “Now that we are out of […] Continue reading ->
Rwanda has recorded its 63rd Marburg case, while cases of children coinfected with both mpox and measles are rising in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to officials at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly media briefing on Thursday. After 10 days of no new cases, a health worker who […] Continue reading ->
The first two people with Marburg also had malaria, which slowed down their diagnosis, Rwandan Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana told a media briefing on Thursday hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This follows the revelation that the suspected index case died on 8 September, according to Dr Brian […] Continue reading ->
Governments and donors have pledged around $1 billion to combat Africa’s mpox outbreak in the past few weeks, with the US pledging $500 million this week, said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. But the continent’s response is confounded by poor surveillance, problems with testingm virtually non-existant contact […] Continue reading ->
African heads of state from countries affected by mpox will meet virtually on Sunday to address the “worrying” increase of the virus – with 2,912 new cases and 14 deaths recorded in the past week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported at a media briefing on Thursday. “Mpox is not under control […] Continue reading ->
Bavarian Nordic’s MVA-BN vaccine, has become the first mpox vaccine to be added to the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification (PQ) list, enabling its use globally. The WHO has also recommended that single doses be given in supply-constrained outbreak situations instead of the usual two doses, and “off label” use for children as the vaccine […] Continue reading ->
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