ADDIS ABABA -- Since the start of 2024, the total number of mpox cases in Africa has risen to 34,297, including 6,806 confirmed cases and 866 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Addressing a special online media briefing on the multi-country mpox outbreak in Africa, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on Thursday night that the continent reported 2,490 new cases in the past week alone, including 365 confirmed cases and 26 deaths, bringing the total number of cases reported this year to 34,297.

Data from the Africa CDC showed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi accounted for 94.5 percent of all the confirmed cases during the past week.

Kaseya said the number of African countries that are affected by the ongoing mpox outbreak has now reached 16, with Ghana becoming the latest country to report mpox cases during the past week. He said mpox cases have been reported across all five regions of the African continent.

While noting improvements in mpox surveillance, the Africa CDC chief stressed that the timeliness and completeness of the reports need improvement across the affected countries.

Despite the fact that the number of laboratory confirmations has greatly improved compared to previous years, testing remains suboptimal, he added.

In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. Soon after, the World Health Organization also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is believed to be transmitted from wild animals, such as rodents, to humans or through human-to-human contact. It is a rare viral disease typically spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The infection usually causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.