Uganda reports 3 more mpox deaths as confirmed cases hit 784

KAMPALA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) — Uganda said on Tuesday that it registered another three mpox deaths, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed fatalities to four in the East African country.
Henry Kyobe Bosa, incident commander at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, told Xinhua over the phone that two deaths were recorded at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, about 40 km south of Kampala, the national capital, and one at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital in the country’s mid-western region.
Kyobe said those deceased include an eight-month-old baby boy and a 23-year-old woman from the central district of Wakiso, and a 40-year-old man from the mid-western district of Kikuube.
Uganda confirmed and registered its first death in October in the mid-western district of Masindi.
The latest situation report issued on Monday showed that the cumulative number of confirmed infections had hit 784.
Authorities have intensified preventive measures, including enhanced surveillance, case management, risk communication and community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the virus.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which spreads through close contact. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.
In August, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting its potential for further global transmission. ■