A confirmed case of mpox has been detected in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where health authorities are already battling the country's largest-ever Ebola outbreak. The development has raised concerns about the additional pressure on an already stretched outbreak response and the overall healthcare system. The mpox case was confirmed after a 21-year-old woman was hospitalised with skin lesions that ae commonly seen in mpox. The two viruses are not associated with each other, but the threat of two highly infectious diseases is now being navigated in the same area at the same time. Mpox Case In Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak Ituri is at the centre of one of the worst Ebola outbreaks the country has ever seen. As of September 23, the DRC reported 7,890 confirmed Ebola cases and around 3,799 deaths. The a case-fatality ratio, according to WHO, stayed put at 48.1%. Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak, solely accounted for 6,032 confirmed cases. The Ebola outbreak has also expanded geographically, with new cases reported across 63 health zones in seven provinces. The WHO says the continued spread is increasing the risk of cross-border transmission. The appearance of mpox in Bunia, against the backdrop of Ebola, creates another challenge for surveillance, testing, infection prevention and safety of healthcare workers.Also read: 1,370 Mpox Cases, 7 Deaths Reported In July: WHO Says Risk Remains Moderate What Is Mpox? Mpox is a viral disease that can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and peculiar rash or skin lesions. It spreads mainly through close physical contact with an infected person. Some people recover without complications, while others can develop serious symptoms, particularly those with weak immune systems. The newly case is especially alarming as the DRC had declared an end to mpox as a national public health emergency in April, following a three-year outbreak that resulted in more than 34,000 confirmed cases nationwide.Also read: Canada Confirms Clade 1 Strain of Mpox: Know How It Impacts Human Burden On An Already Overwhelmed Healthcare System The two diseases are caused by different viruses and spread differently. A confirmed mpox case does not indicate that Ebola has mutated or that the two outbreaks are connected. The WHO says the Ebola response is already operating under difficult conditions, with conflict, insecurity, population displacement and limited access to basic services hampering surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and timely care. The concern is that health systems, that were already dealing with a major outbreak, now have another infection to detect, investigate and contain. Bunia is not just another location where a case has been detected. It is the capital of Ituri, where the Ebola outbreak is the most concentrated. WHO teams have described Bunia as a key operational hub for the response, with flights transporting healthcare workers, medicines and other supplies to affected regions. The immediate priority will be investigation, contact tracing, and surveillance to determine whether the case is linked to a wider cluster. DRC is already conducting extensive contact monitoring for Ebola. As of September 23, more than 32,000 people were listed for follow-up, depicting the scale of the response.