Mpox: Concentrate on One of the Eastern DRC’s Most Severely Afflicted Cities

At the core of the current mpox outbreak in Kamituga, eastern DRC, fear and contagion are on the rise. It is the location where the virus’s most recent variant was found the previous year.

Diego watched as medical staff at the Kamituga General Hospital took care of his young son Emile.

I was quite ignorant since I didn’t think kids could contract this illness. I had assumed that it was only for adults, and I was unaware that children were receiving care here. I was afraid when I noticed the kids here.

Known as the economic center of South Kivu province, the over 300,000-person gold mining town of Kamituga draws in mobile traders, sex workers, and miners.

Nearly 1,000 people in Kamituga have contracted the virus since it started, and at least eight people—four of them children—have passed away.

Emile, two years old, was covered in sores and stood motionless while medical staff poured water over him to bring down his body temperature.

A common symptom, according to the WHO, is a rash that could linger for two to four weeks. Fever, headache, aches in the muscles, back discomfort, low energy, and swollen glands may accompany or precede this.

Taking care of the rash, controlling the pain, and avoiding complications are the main objectives of mpox treatment.

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