Mpox was first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970. Since then, the disease has largely been confined to rural areas of Central and West Africa. As a result, the disease didn’t gain much international attention. However, on August 13, 2024, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared mpox a public health emergency.
To examine the growing threat of mpox, researchers at the Africa CDC analyzed cases and deaths that occurred between January 2022 and October 2024 (Ndembi N, Folayan MO, Komakech A, et al. Evolving Epidemiology of Mpox in Africa in 2024. New Engl J Med. 2025 Feb 13;392(7):666-676). Investigators identified 45,652 cases of mpox in 12 African countries, which resulted in 1,492 deaths (case fatality rate, 3.3%). About 88% of those mpox cases occurred in the DRC. Between 2022 and 2024, weekly mpox cases increased by a factor of 4.3. In 2024, six African countries reported their first imported mpox infections.
The authors concluded, “The high mpox disease burden in Africa, especially in the DRC — with a rising number of cases, high case fatality rate, and high degree of spread to other previously mpox-free African countries — is cause for increased international concern.” (p. 666)
Contributed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
Mpox was first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970. Since then, the disease has largely been confined to rural areas of Central and West Africa. As a result, the disease didn’t gain much international attention. However, on August 13, 2024, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared mpox a public health emergency.
To examine the growing threat of mpox, researchers at the Africa CDC analyzed cases and deaths that occurred between January 2022 and October 2024 (Ndembi N, Folayan MO, Komakech A, et al. Evolving Epidemiology of Mpox in Africa in 2024. New Engl J Med. 2025 Feb 13;392(7):666-676). Investigators identified 45,652 cases of mpox in 12 African countries, which resulted in 1,492 deaths (case fatality rate, 3.3%). About 88% of those mpox cases occurred in the DRC. Between 2022 and 2024, weekly mpox cases increased by a factor of 4.3. In 2024, six African countries reported their first imported mpox infections.
The authors concluded, “The high mpox disease burden in Africa, especially in the DRC — with a rising number of cases, high case fatality rate, and high degree of spread to other previously mpox-free African countries — is cause for increased international concern.” (p. 666)
Contributed by: Paul A. Offit, MD