The Republic of Congo declared a smallpox epidemic after 19 cases were confirmed in five departments, including the capital Brazzaville.
No deaths have been reported so far, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a press release on Tuesday.
He urged the public to take precautions, including avoiding close contact with people who may be infected, as well as animals and avoiding handling game meat with bare hands.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the virus Mpox, replacing the older term “monkeypox” due to concerns of stigma and racism associated with the name.
The Mpox virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the WHO.
Symptoms include fever, pain and skin lesions.
(Reporting by Roch Bouk, writing by Porsha Crowe; French versioning by Alban Casher; Editing by Blandine Hainault)
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