Uganda has confirmed two new cases of mpox, increasing the total number of infections in the country to four, according to the health ministry.
The new cases involve the clade 1b strain of the virus, a variant that has raised global concern due to its potentially higher transmission rates. The World Health Organization recently declared this outbreak a public health emergency following the identification of this new variant.
The initial outbreak in Uganda was reported on July 24, after laboratory tests confirmed mpox in samples from two patients near the Democratic Republic of Congo border. The two new cases were confirmed this week, with one patient identified as a truck driver. Both individuals are currently isolated at a hospital in Entebbe, about 50 km (31 miles) south of Kampala.
Mpox typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and spreads through close physical contact. While often mild, the disease can be fatal. Uganda’s outbreak is linked to the ongoing situation in Congo, where the current mpox outbreak began in January 2023.
