Guinea has recorded more than 200 cases of mpox since the outbreak started last year, health authorities said on Friday.
Sory Keira, spokesman for the National Agency for Health Security, told AFP that the country has counted 206 cases so far. The outbreak, which began in September, has led to one death and 77 hospitalisations.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus related to smallpox. It spreads through infected animals or close contact with infected people.
The World Health Organisation raised concern last month over the rise of mpox cases in West Africa. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus remains a global health emergency.
The disease often causes fever, muscle pain, and large skin boils. While it is endemic in parts of central Africa, a new wave of global cases began in 2022, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men.
Sierra Leone has recorded 3,350 cases and 16 deaths from January to May this year. Liberia reported 71 active cases in June, according to its National Public Health Institute.
WHO also noted that thousands of cases have been reported this year in DR Congo, Uganda, and Burundi.
