KAMPALA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Another 33 people have tested positive for mpox in Uganda, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the country to 69, a health official said here Tuesday.
Daniel Kyabayinze, director of public health at the Ugandan Ministry of Health, told Xinhua over the telephone that the new cases were reported in the 11 affected districts and were mainly driven by sex.
Kyabayinze said the central district of Nakasongola, about 117 km north of the capital city of Kampala, registered 21 cases of mpox, becoming the hotspot of the virus due to activities in local bars and lodging facilities frequented by the fishing community.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, has intensified preventive measures, including enhanced surveillance, case management, risk communication and community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the virus, according to health authorities.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting its potential for further global transmission.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which spreads through close contact. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.
