Confirmed Mpox cases rise to ten

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Six new Mpox cases have been confirmed taking the cumulative total in the last 14 days to 10, the National Monkey Pox Situation Report #002, September 02, 2024, has revealed.

The same report revealed that six additional cases have emerged from Mayuge district which has recorded two new cases, while Kampala registered 02, Wakiso and Kasese 01 case each.

The director of public health at the health ministry Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze said of the ten cumulative cases, three have recovered, and no death has been registered among the confirmed cases. 21 active contacts are currently under follow-up.

Dr. Kyabayinze said the new cases have been transmitted from within the country as opposed to the first imported cases. 

He said there is need to be vigilant to avoid the disease from spreading and ravaging the country.

In the bid to tame community transmission, he said government has embarked on sensitizing the public and health workers on preventive measures as well as how to identify the symptoms.

He urged health workers to look out for mouth sores especially if they cannot find the cause of the fever.

The Ministry of Health, districts, and partners in Uganda are implementing several outbreak control interventions in Kasese as an Epi-centre and other affected districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Amuru and Mayuge to contain the disease spread.

The Assistant District Health Officer Mayuge, Florence Kawala has said the two newly diagnosed; one is a 24 -year old while the other gentleman aged 32, are all residents of Kityerera and Bugadi sub-counties.

 In this regard, they are going to follow up and pick samples from their contacts as well.

In addition, they have come up with a response plan to share with development partners for support. The surveillance teams in the district have been deployed to trace contacts of the confirmed patients.

 Mpox also previously known as monkeypox is a disease found in wild animals like squirrels, rats, mice, and monkeys that can spread to people. It is caused by monkeypox virus, closely related to smallpox.

Smallpox caused a lot of devastation; it killed a lot of people in the world before the 1980s when it was eradicated. 

Uganda confirmed the first cases of Mpox on 24th July 2024 following the confirmation of two case-patients from Kasese District, Bwera Hospital by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) through a routine surveillance system.

These two cases were detected among six case-patients with symptoms consistent with the Mpox.

Global burden

Uganda is not the only newly affected country between July / August 2024. Others include; Rwanda with four confirmed cases, Burundi with 170 cases, Cote d’Ivoire* (re-declared as active) with 28, Kenya and Mauritania with one case each.  

DRC where Mpox is endemic (part of their disease profile) has registered up to 3235 cases this year alone. 

Since 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported over 4480 cases and more than 1,000 deaths according to WHO.

Mpox Fact sheets

Transmission

The virus spreads from animals to humans through bites or scratches during activities such as hunting, skinning, trapping, and cooking.

Eating infected animals, such as non-human primates, terrestrial rodents, antelopes and gazelles, and tree squirrels, says the case management infection prevention and control officer at WHO Dr Annet Alenyo Ngabirano.

It can also occur through human-to-human transmission through prolonged close contact with infectious skin, and it is for this reason that patients are encouraged to wear long sleeves to protect the environment around them. 

The virus can also be transmitted through mucocutaneous lesions, respiratory droplet transmission and sharing of contaminated objects such as clothing or linens or touching contaminated surfaces said Dr Alenyo.

The virus may be transmitted from mothers infected with Mpox to babies through breastfeeding and also through delivery especially if the mother has sores in the birth canal. It can also be transmitted through amniotic fluid or even blood.

The transmission is also very high during sexual intercourse because the act offers a lot of intense and prolonged skin-to-skin contact, therefore giving more time for the virus to move from one individual to another.

She noted that as medics characterize cases, they are seeing a lot of people showing transmission through sexual contact.

The director of public health at the Health Ministry Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze said of the ten cumulative cases, three have recovered, and no death has been registered among the confirmed cases.

“Usually the point where the virus enters the body with where he skin rash will start. As such an individual will present with a rash in the genital area,” she noted.

Signs and symptoms

Once infected with Mpox, it can spread from person to person. Mpox virus takes between 5 to 21 days to multiply and allow the symptoms to appear, also referred to as incubation period.

In the first stage, signs and symptoms such as of the disease include headache, body aches, back pain, low energy (body weakness), sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. 

The rash phase usually starts a few days after the fever and swelling of lymph nodes starting from points where the virus entered the body. If you got it through sexual contact, it may start from the genitals. After that, it spreads to the face, chest, arms and buttocks.

Mpox patients are considered infectious until the skin rash has crusted, the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath.

It takes two to four weeks for the rash to clear, and during that time the individual is infectious.

Mpox can be difficult to identify because the symptoms are similar to other infections, such as chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, herpes, syphilis, and other sexually transmissible diseases.

Therefore, Mpox can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.

 Dr. Alenyo said Mpox can be treatable and can be fatal if not given appropriate supportive treatment.  

Health workers will treat the rash, and manage pain and other complications. Early and supportive care is important to help manage symptoms and avoid further problems. Most people with Mpox recover within 2–4 weeks.

Complications

A severe form of Mpox causes disfigurement to the skin, and infection in the eyes which may appear 24 months later, she said. Mpox also causes secondary infection of the scalp and for pregnant mothers, it may affect the placenta as well as the unborn child.  

At risk groups

Mpox can be severe, causing death, especially among newborns, infants and children of less than eight years.

Others include pregnant women, the elderly and those with other chronic health conditions such as poorly suppressed HIV.

Prevention tips

-People with Mpox should avoid physical or intimate contact with others, including sexual activity until skin rash clears. Those recovering from Mpox should use condoms for 12 weeks.

-In addition, they should avoid physical contact and do not share linen, towels, or personal care items with anyone with Mpox.

-Mpox patients as well as the public should regularly practice hand hygiene: wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub.

-Practice respiratory hygiene: cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or tissues, dispose of used tissues immediately after use, and wash your hands.

–If you develop symptoms, particularly if you have recently travelled overseas or had contact with a case, including sexual contact, you should seek care at your general practitioner or nearest sexual health clinic.

–It is important to contact the healthcare facility before your appointment; to ensure they can separate you from others.

– Make sure to wear a surgical mask and cover any skin lesions.