The Lancet Global Health
Prevalence, characteristics, and clinical course of mpox-related ophthalmic disease (MBOTE-EYE): a prospective cohort study in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
By Theophile Kabesha, PhD, Christophe Van Dijck, PhD, Samuel Mudwanga, MD and 22 others.
Abstract
Summary: Background: Systematic longitudinal ophthalmologist-led assessment of mpox-related ophthalmic disease (MPOXROD) is rarely reported. We aimed to characterise the prevalence and clinical course of MPOXROD under supportive management during a clade Ib outbreak.
Methods
MBOTE-EYE was a substudy nested within a prospective cohort in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. All hospitalised patients with PCR-confirmed mpox (within the last 48 h) were eligible. Participants underwent ophthalmological examination at enrolment, discharge, and days 29 and 59. Conjunctival swabs were collected for monkeypox virus PCR. Risk factors for MPOXROD were assessed using mixed-effects Poisson regression.