Angola has confirmed 204 mpox infections in the eastern province of Moxico Leste since June, with health authorities identifying the border municipality of Luau as the epicenter of the outbreak.
Provincial health director Benilde Miguel said 192 patients had recovered during the three months, while 12 people remained under treatment at health facilities across Moxico Leste, the state-run ANGOP news agency reported on October 7.
She said six of the active cases had been confirmed in the previous 24 hours, including a 21-day-old infant who was infected by his mother.
The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa says the country has recorded 796 confirmed cases and two deaths since 2024, and that WHO is supporting Angola’s health ministry with surveillance, risk communication and response coordination.
Local authorities said they had traced and vaccinated 582 contacts connected to confirmed cases in Moxico Leste and were continuing to monitor them for symptoms. Health teams have also been deployed to conduct screening and vaccination along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cases have been reported in neighboring Lualaba Province.
WHO reported that 11 African countries recorded active transmission between 6 July and 16 August, with 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths, while Angola accounted for 184 of those cases, the second-highest national total after Madagascar. The WHO situation report also cautioned that continental case counts may be understated because of reporting delays and uneven surveillance.
Health officials have urged residents in affected areas to seek early medical care for symptoms such as rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes and body aches, and to avoid close contact with people showing signs of infection.
