Democratic Republic of the Congo: Monkeypox, Mainly in Equateur and Sankuru Provinces

According to WHO's regional office, more than 60 suspected cases of monkeypox per week are occurring, mainly in Equateur Province. More than 400 cases (including 34 laboratory-confirmed and 9 deaths) have been reported since January 2018 in 14 of 26 provinces, mainly in Sankuru Province (> 100 cases). The outbreak has yet to peak. Outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo every year since 2005. Travelers are advised to avoid consumption of bushmeat and direct contact with rodents and other animals in affected regions. Human-to-human transmission via respiratory droplets or contact with skin lesions is possible.