Experience of a patient with empox in quarantine

'I was feeling very ill. I got scared too. I could not walk.' These are the words of Samuel Nduimana, a resident of Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi, who is infected with pox. As of Saturday, 170 people have been reported to have been infected with Epox in this small African country.

Samuel is currently in the quarantine ward at King Khaled Teaching Hospital. He spoke to AFP from there. His face and upper body were covered in blisters.

Talking about the symptoms, Samuel said, 'I was losing my appetite. Fever occurs and small pimple-like lumps appear on the genitals. But it was very painful. At first I thought it was malaria.'

Samuel also said, 'What made me sick, I did not understand. But the situation was getting worse day by day.'

The incidence of this disease is increasing in East African countries. Burundi had 171 confirmed cases earlier this week. Kenya reported its second case of the virus last Friday. And in neighboring Uganda, this number is 4.

Monkeypox virus was first transmitted from animals to humans. Its symptoms are similar to fever or flu. At present, someone else can be infected with the disease even by breathing in contact with a person with the disease.

Concerns have been raised about Mpox as it has spread to several African countries. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency around the world.

Burundian authorities are fighting the outbreak. Odete Nasavimana, one of the doctors treating such infected people.

Odete told AFP, 'Sometimes patients come in very serious condition. Many have a fever of 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit). This disease is very painful and itchy. It hurts the body. As a result, urgent treatment is required.'

National director of the Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, Lilian Nekenugurutse, said the center provides free treatment. It has the capacity to treat 50 people.

Lilian told AFP that such patients are increasing. The virus is spreading from the country's border with the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the health minister of this Central African country, more than 16,700 people have been diagnosed with this virus in Congo this year. And more than 570 people have died.

Lilian, the national director of Burundi's Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, said that they are quickly identifying the affected patients and taking them into isolation. Then giving treatment. He also said, 'We have not yet had such a patient die here. Because, we are fortunate enough to be able to detect and start treatment quickly.'

Samuel, who is under treatment in the ward, received free treatment. Appreciating this initiative, he said, 'Those who fear, they are infected with pox. They need to come to the hospital for treatment immediately. This epidemic is very dangerous. It hurts a lot. You don't know what to do in this situation.'

According to BBC news, at the moment, several types of monkeypox virus infection are being seen simultaneously. One of these types is more dangerous. The type named 'Clade 1B' was identified in September last year.

There are two types of 'clade 1'. Individuals identified in Sweden were infected with 'clade 1b'. The first case of infection of the type was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But its transmission has now also been confirmed in Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda.

Earlier in 2022, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency due to the 'clade 2' type of empox. The type is relatively mild. By July of that year, the 'clade 2' type had spread to about 100 countries, including some countries in Asia and Europe. The infection was brought under control by vaccinating at-risk groups

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