 Congolese officials say there have been more than 11,000 cases of MPOCs this year and more than 400 deaths. The National Biomedical Research Institute in Goma says preliminary analysis shows that the virus has been circulating in the area for a long time. Neighbouring countries have issued health advisories. The World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency in 2022 because of a significant outbreak of MPOCs. World News from the BBC.