Maputo Province has recorded its first confirmed case of Mpox, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. Across the country, 20 new suspected cases were reported, of which 6 tested positive.
Since July 11, the cumulative number of suspected cases has reached 167, with 134 tests conducted and 23 cases confirmed, up from 17 previously. So far, no deaths related to the disease have been recorded, keeping the case fatality rate at 0%. Two patients have already recovered in Niassa.
Niassa remains the most affected province, with 22 cumulative cases. Updated data as of July 27 indicate that the 17 confirmed cases in that province were recorded in administrative posts such as Lago, Matengula, Cobué, and Maniamba — with 13 in Cobué, 2 in Matengula, and 2 in Maniamba. Of all confirmed cases, 41% are women, aged between 13 and 38. Some patients are co-infected with HIV.
The Ministry of Health stated that the outbreak was officially declared on July 10, after laboratory confirmation of the first cases. The identified virus belongs to the Ib clade, which is also circulating in neighbouring Tanzania. Currently, patients are clinically stable and under home isolation, as per the protocol recommending 21 days of isolation.
In total, 92 suspected cases have been reported across the country, with the highest incidence in:
- Niassa (57)
- Tete (8)
- Maputo City (7)
- Maputo Province (7)
- Manica (4)
- Zambézia (3)
- Cabo Delgado (3)
- Nampula (2)
- Sofala (1)
Out of the 92 samples collected, 87 have been analyzed, with 70 testing negative.
The Ministry of Health warns about the dangers of Mpox and urges the public to avoid physical contact with infected or suspected individuals, wash hands frequently, and not share clothing or personal items. Anyone showing symptoms such as chickenpox-like rashes should immediately seek medical care.
This is the second wave of Mpox in Mozambique, following the first outbreak in 2022 in Maputo Province, which had only one case.
Quinhas Fernandes, National Director of Public Health, has called for strengthened preventive measures, including personal and collective hygiene, use of protective equipment when handling infected persons or contaminated materials, and vaccination of at-risk groups, such as contacts of confirmed cases and health professionals.
Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease first identified in humans in 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, fatigue, and eventually a characteristic skin rash.
Source: O País
