Isolation centre treats 'scared' patients as Burundi mpox cases rise

Burundi has confirmed 171 cases of mpox, the health ministry said on Thursday, following confirmation of the first cases in the country last month. Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals that can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact."

The epidemic continues to gain ground," the ministry said last month, adding it was in the process of creating isolation wards in district hospitals to care for mpox patients. While mpox has been known for decades, a new more deadly and more transmissible strain -- known as Clade 1b -- has driven the recent surge in cases. Cases are surging in the region with outbreaks reported in the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, but have also been detected in Asia and Europe.