Ecuador: 35 deaths from monkeypox have been recorded in Bolumba since the beginning of the year

At least 35 patients suffering from monkeypox, or monkeypox, have died since the beginning of the year in the Monica Health District of Bolumba Province (Ecuador).

Many villagers who arrived in Mbandaka claim that signs of monkeypox appeared in Bulumba territory more than a year ago. But the Bukala cluster, in the Lusanganya sector, is among the areas worst affected by the disease in the Monica health zone.

They noted that there have been more than 35 deaths in the community since January 2024.

The latest reported case is that of a priest from the Patmos Church, who died last Tuesday in the village of Posilela, which is considered the current epicenter of the epidemic. The victim's body was buried in an advanced state of decomposition on the same day.

But the next day, the father of the deceased also succumbed to the disease, while the late pastor's three children were also admitted to a health centre. Witnesses contacted over the weekend said they were in critical condition.

Residents, fearing the worst, lament the indifference of the authorities and humanitarian workers.

The nurse in the village, which is about 3 kilometers from Busilela, said he was exhausted due to the large number of patients and especially the lack of medicines to treat the patients' clinical signs.

Thus, the disease is spreading in this area due to lack of awareness and application of hygiene procedures, according to sources contacted by Radio Okapi.