Extended Human-to-Human Transmission During a Monkeypox Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Overview

Journal Emerg Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2016 May 19

PMID 27191380

Citations 147

Authors

Leisha Diane Nolen

Lynda Osadebe

Jacques Katomba

Jacques Likofata

Daniel Mukadi

Benjamin Monroe

Jeffrey Doty

Christine Marie Hughes

Joelle Kabamba

Jean Malekani

Pierre Lokwa Bomponda

Jules Inonga Lokota

Marcel Pie Balilo

Toutou Likafi

Robert Shongo Lushima

Benoit Kebela Ilunga

Frida NKawa

Elisabeth Pukuta

Stomy Karhemere

Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum

Beatrice Nguete

Emile Okitolonda Wemakoy

Andrea M McCollum

Mary G Reynolds

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A >600% increase in monkeypox cases occurred in the Bokungu Health Zone of the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the second half of 2013; this increase prompted an outbreak investigation. A total of 104 possible cases were reported from this health zone; among 60 suspected cases that were tested, 50 (48.1%) cases were confirmed by laboratory testing, and 10 (9.6%) tested negative for monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection. The household attack rate (i.e., rate of persons living with an infected person that develop symptoms of MPXV infection) was 50%. Nine families showed >1 transmission event, and >6 transmission events occurred within this health zone. Mean incubation period was 8 days (range 4-14 days). The high attack rate and transmission observed in this study reinforce the importance of surveillance and rapid identification of monkeypox cases. Community education and training are needed to prevent transmission of MPXV infection during outbreaks.

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