Mpox Outbreak in DRC Becomes Largest Ever, WHO Confirms Sexual Transmission

Nearly 600 deaths and 12,000 infections reported this year, with the disease now found in 85% of provinces.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is experiencing its largest-ever outbreak of mpox, a viral infection previously known as monkeypox, with nearly 600 deaths and almost 12,000 infections this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed for the first time that the disease is being sexually transmitted in the DRC, a development that could make it more difficult to control the spread.
The current outbreak is being driven by a strain of the virus that previously spread exclusively through animal to human contact, but is now rapidly spreading between humans.
The disease has been discovered in 85% of provinces in the DRC, including areas where there were no prior documented cases.
Despite the severity of the outbreak, no vaccines have arrived in the DRC, highlighting the challenges faced by the country's health infrastructure.