PandemicPreparedness

10 December: Recent updates from Africa CDC and WHO have confirmed additional infections and deaths. Out of over 400 suspected cases reported in the country, at least 85 have been confirmed (testing rate: 100%), including three fatalities. Individuals under the age of 25 remain the most affected. Infections have been increasing recently in the Mbaiki health district.

25 September: In the latest WHO and Africa CDC situation updates, the mpox outbreak in the Central African Republic continues. Over 300 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported in the country. Clade Ia is still the only strain to be detected in the country. Children under the age of 4 account for 25% of the confirmed cases and people under 25 years of age account for 75% of the confirmed cases.

2 September: Further mpox infections have been recorded in the country, with at least three additional cases reported in Bangui since mid-August. Over 40% of infections have been detected in children under the age of 15.

Genetic sequencing of confirmed cases has identified the presence of clade Ia monkeypox virus. Notably, this strain differs from the one responsible for the ongoing global outbreak since 2022, clade IIb, and the newly identified strain in Congo (DRC), clade Ib.

30 July: The Ministry of Health has alerted about mpox infections in the capital, Bangui. While mpox is consistently found in animals throughout Central African Republic (CAR), human infections are typically detected in more rural, heavily forested areas. The identification of infections in densely populated regions, like Bangui, raises the risk of further spread.