Zimbabwe reports first two mpox cases of unspecified variant

Reuters
Oct 14, 2024

Zimbabwe reports first two mpox cases of unspecified variant


HARARE, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has confirmed its first two cases of mpox, the health ministry said on Sunday, without specifying which variant had been recorded.
 
The first case was detected in an 11-year-old boy who developed symptoms last month after travelling to South Africa, the statement said. The second case was in a 24-year-old man who fell ill after travelling to Tanzania, it said.
 
Both patients are recovering and contact tracing is underway, the statement said. The cases were in capital Harare and the southern town of Mberengwa.
 
The World Health Organization in August declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, as a new variant of the viral infection spread from Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African countries.