The African continent has recorded 1,715 cases of monkey smallpox with 73 deaths since the beginning of the year

The fatality rate to date stands at 4.3%, says CDC Afrique, a member of the African Union.

The African continent has recorded since the beginning of the year 1,715 cases of monkey smallpox with 73 deaths in eight endemic and two non-endemic countries, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) said Tuesday.

The fatality rate to date stands at 4.3%, says CDC Afrique, a member of the African Union.

CDC Africa adds in a statement that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 to date, Africa has recorded 12,141 cases of monkey smallpox, with a lethality rate of 3%.

The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention urged African countries to remain vigilant against the spread of monkey smallpox, noting that the technical and financial resources required to respond effectively to the spread of monkey smallpox had not yet been optimally mobilized.