In Burundi, no deaths related to the mpox virus have been reported, despite 1,100 people in Africa losing their lives this year due to diseases caused by different strains of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa.
A study led by researchers from universities in Canada, Belgium, Burundi, Congo, and the United States revealed that half of those affected presented with fever, while more than a third had swollen lymph nodes. Additionally, cases of muscle pain and two situations of vision loss associated with the virus were recorded.
Before the outbreak of the Ib strain, Burundi had not reported any cases of mpox. The suspected cases showed similarities between men and women regarding negative test results. An independent analysis in a hospital in Bujumbura, the most populated city in Burundi, highlighted a marked difference in the virus's susceptibility between girls and young women.
Of the 154 confirmed cases of mpox infection in Burundi, bordering eastern Congo, between July and September, the average age was 9.5 years. The average age of girls was 6 years, while for boys it was 17.5 years. The Ib subvariant appears to have a faster spread than previous ones, with hundreds of childhood deaths detected in Congo due to this disease.
Transmission of the new strain has mainly occurred through close physical contact and various sexual relations. Compared to variant Ia, which has circulated for decades in central and western Africa and is primarily transmitted through contact with animals, variant II, spreading globally, is mainly transmitted sexually among men.
The study observed significant gender differences, especially concerning age, test results, and hospitalizations. Infected and hospitalized women had an average age of 16 years, while men averaged around 32 years. Most hospitalized patients showed generalized pustular skin rashes, and about 20% presented with genital skin lesions.
