According to a recent World Health Organization estimate, about 30,000 probable cases of mpox have been reported in Africa since the beginning of this year. According to the United Nations health agency, the bulk were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which, like Burundi, has seen an increase in cases.

According to the WHO’s study, there have been over 800 deaths from probable mpox in the same time period. It comes after the WHO’s director general labeled the disease epidemic in areas of Africa a public health emergency, the highest degree of alert the organization can issue.

Beyond the African continent, a handful of cases have also been confirmed in countries including Sweden and Pakistan. The virus that causes the disease was first discovered decades ago, but it has changed over the past several years, resulting in the disease spreading more easily between humans.

Vaccines against the virus are expected to be carried out in the Democratic Republic of Congo from October 2nd.