The World Health Organization has confirmed that mpox can be transmitted sexually in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This is the first time sexual transmission has been confirmed in the country, and it comes as the country experiences its largest outbreak of the disease. African scientists are concerned that this development could make it harder to stop the spread of the disease.
The WHO said a man from Belgium traveled to Congo in March and tested positive for monkeypox. He identified himself as a man who has sexual relations with other men and had gone to several underground clubs for gay and bisexual men. Five of his sexual contacts later tested positive for mpox, www.voanews.com reports.