Addis Ababa, Oct 25 (IANS) The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned about existing challenges in monkeypox surveillance as the number of cases since this year have surpassed 45,000.

During an online media briefing Thursday evening, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said that since the beginning of this year, a total of 18 African countries had reported 45,327 monkeypox cases, of which 9,114 were confirmed, while the number of deaths had surpassed the 1,000 mark.

Kaseya revealed that during the past week alone, the African continent reported 2,729 new cases, of which 1,001 were confirmed, and 36 new deaths were recorded, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi accounting for 96 per cent of all new confirmed cases.

Data from the Africa CDC show that the Central Africa region registered 85.5 percent of all reported cases and 99.5 percent of deaths. Additionally, the number of cases reported so far this year has reflected a 400 percent increase compared to the entire 2023.

Acknowledging a high acceptance of mpox vaccination in the DRC and Rwanda, Kaseya said all high-risk countries have completed plans and are preparing to vaccinate their population.

Meanwhile, the Africa CDC chief said five African countries, namely Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Rwanda and South Africa, have not reported any confirmed cases in the past four weeks, adding that no new deaths have been reported outside Central Africa since last week.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. 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.

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.