KAMPALA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The cumulative number of confirmed mpox cases in Uganda has surpassed 1,000, with six deaths reported since the outbreak was declared five months ago in the East African country, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.
A total of 17 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,044 across 57 of the country's 146 districts since the first case was registered in August, the ministry said in a situation update report issued locally.
At least 10 new cases were recorded in the capital of Kampala, making the city the current hotspot of the disease.
The ministry said public sensitization messages about the disease have been broadcast on 45 radio stations and four TV channels nationwide.
The ministry, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, has intensified preventive measures, including enhanced surveillance, case management, risk communication and community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to curb the virus's spread.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting its potential for further global transmission.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by an orthopoxvirus called monkeypox virus, which spreads through close contact. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash and back pain.
