[Simian smallpox (or monkey smallpox): study of 8 cases observed at Impfondo Hospital in Republic of Congo]

Monkeypox or simian smallpox is a viral disease whose clinical manifestations are similar to the human smallpox. In this study authors describe the care management and follow up of eight patients hospitalized at the Impfondo hospital in Congo. It was a transversal study conducted from the 23rd of May till the 7th of July 2003 at the District Hospital of Impfondo (Likouala province, Republic of Congo). We have analyzed 81 patient files hospitalized during that period. Using the Atlanta CDC criteria of case definition modified in 2003, monkeypox has been diagnosed in 8 patients. Our series has 4 male and 4 female patients. The mean age is 9.05 +/- 5.86 with extremes ranging from 5 months to 18 years old. The clinical manifestations included fever (n = 7), rash (n=8), articulations and muscles pains (n=2), mumps (n=4) and pruritus (n=6). 7 patients recovered among them 5 without complications and 2 with persistent hypochromic lesions for more than 6 weeks. The monkeypox strain responsible for these infections appeared not to be lethal to humans. However this study shows that monkeypox is an endemic public health risk in the sanitary district of Impfondo, within the Congo River basin. The endemic presence of monkeypox in the Congo basin could trigger a new outbreak if the viral strains involved here became lethal.