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Ivory Coast Detects Two Mpox Cases, Takes Steps to Halt Spread

(Bloomberg) -- Ivory Coast has activated its emergency health system after confirming two cases of mpox, the Ministry of Health said.

One infection was discovered in the capital Abidjan involving a 20-year old. The other is a 46-year patient in the southwestern town of Iboké, near the border with Liberia.

A cousin of the smallpox virus, mpox typically causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash that can start on the face and spread down the body. The illness typically lasts for two weeks to a month.

The health ministry said there had been no reports of mpox fatalities so far, and it activated its emergency system to prevent its spread.

South Africa found 16 cases that led to three deaths in a recent outbreak. Mpox has for years been mostly confined to developing countries, though it spread across Europe and the US in 2022.

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