“My Throat Was So Painful I Couldn’t Sleep”—On” the Mpox Frontline
Egide Irambona, 40, sits bare-chested on his hospital bed, next to the window, in a treatment room shared with two other males.
The evening sun’s rays stream into Bujumbura, Burundi’s main city. His face, bathed in gentle light, is covered with blisters. His arms, as well as his chest,.
“I had enlarged lymph nodes in my neck. It was so agonizing that I couldn’t sleep. Then the pain stopped and spread to my legs,” he told the BBC.
Mr. Irambona Has Mpox
He is one of around 170 confirmed cases registered in Burundi since last month. It is one of the world’s poorest countries and borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been the epicenter of multiple recent mpox outbreaks, resulting in at least 450 deaths and 14,000 probable cases this year.
There have been no confirmed deaths in Burundi, and it is unclear how lethal the current outbreak of a novel strain known as Clade 1b is due to a lack of testing capacity in the affected areas.
However, it has been labeled a global health emergency due to concerns that it would spread rapidly to previously untouched countries and regions.
Today is Mr Irambona’s seventh day of therapy at King Khaled University Hospital. One way the virus spreads is through close contact with an infected person, and it appears that he passed it on to his wife.
She is also being cared for at the same institution.
“I had a friend with blisters. I believe I got it from him. I had no idea it was Mpox. “Thankfully, none of our seven children have shown any signs of having it,” Mr Irambona continues, his voice falling off.
This hospital in Bujumbura houses one of the city’s three mpox treatment centers.
Infected patients occupy 59 of the 61 available beds, with a third being under the age of 15, and children are the most severely impacted age group here, according to the World Health Organization.
The doctor in charge at the hospital, Odette Nsavyimana, says the number of patients is growing.
“We are now setting up tents outside.” So far, there are three: one for triage, one for holding suspected cases, and one for receiving confirmed cases before transferring them to the wards.
“It’s tough, especially when the infants arrive. They cannot stay alone, so I must keep their mothers here as well. Even if they show no signs… “It’s such a difficult situation,
” Dr Nsavyimana continues, her voice muffled by her protective face mask.
How concerned should we be about Mpox?
What is mpox, and how does it spread?
Burundi is currently experiencing an increase in mpox cases.
“I’m worried about the stats. If they keep expanding, we won’t be able to handle it.”
A lot of effort is put into isolating those affected from the rest of the hospital’s population. There is red tape everywhere, and visitors, who must wear protective clothing, are physically separated from those ill.
Medical officials are concerned about restricted resources. There is just one laboratory in the country that can test blood samples for the virus, and there aren’t enough testing kits or immunizations.
Maintaining sanitary conditions throughout Bujumbura is particularly difficult because access to essential resources, such as water, is limited throughout the city. There is a scarcity of running water, and people are observed queuing at public taps.
Dr Liliane Nkengurutse, national head of the Centre for Public Health Emergency Operations, expresses her deep anxiety about the next few days.
“This is a serious task. Diagnosis at a single location can lead to delayed detection of additional cases.Health centers are calling the laboratory to report suspicious cases, but it takes time for lab staff to deploy to the suspected cases and collect samples.
“And it takes significantly longer to release the test findings. “We need around $14 million (£10.7 million) to take our response to the next level,” she says.
Despite talk of vaccines reaching DR Congo as early as next week, there have been no reports of a similar effort in Burundi.
The public’s understanding of mpox is limited.
Bujumbura, located just 20 minutes from the DR Congo border, serves as a cross-border travel and commercial hub. However, there is no understanding of the potential risks of an outbreak.
The city is buzzing with activity. People are continuing to buy and trade products as usual. Handshakes, embraces, and intimate contact are the norm. There are long lines at bus stations, with people racing to get onto already overcrowded public transportation vehicles.
“Many individuals do not get the magnitude of this situation. Even where there have been cases, people continue to interact,” Dr. Nkengurutse explains.
The BBC interviewed with numerous people in Bujumbura, and the majority had no idea what mpox was. Those who did were unaware that it was spreading throughout their country.
“I’ve heard of this sickness, but I’ve never seen somebody suffering from it. “I’ve only seen it on social media,” one individual commented.
“I understand it impacts babies and young people. I’m terrified of it, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay at home. I have to work. “My family needs to eat,” remarked another.
Health providers understand that encouraging people to take extra care can be difficult in a sceptical population facing a variety of economic issues.
However, in order to limit the virus’s transmission, they will continue to treat patients, ensure their recovery, and attempt to track down people with whom they have come into contact.
