Zimbabwe has confirmed its first two cases of mpox, the health ministry said on Sunday, without specifying which variant had been recorded.

Zimbabwe has reported its first two cases of mpox, including in the nation’s capital, Harare, and in Mberengwa, a district located in the mineral-rich Midlands province.

Zimbabwe has confirmed its first two cases of mpox, days after Zambia reported its first case. The cases, whose variants have not been identified, were detected in people who were from or had

Health minister Douglas Mombeshora said both patients were recovering well and the authorities had initiated contact tracing.

The World Health Organization in August declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, as a new variant of the viral infection spread from Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African countries.