Sierra Leone has reported its first case of monkeypox, also known as Mpox, since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of worldwide concern in August of last year, the country’s health authorities revealed.
According to Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA), the infected person is a 27-year-old man from the Western Area Rural District.
Health teams are taking swift action to undertake rigorous contact tracing and investigations in order to identify potential exposures and prevent additional virus transmission, according to the statement.
Health authorities have activated the incident command system to effectively manage and contain the outbreak.
Measures include isolating the patient and providing necessary medical care in a secure environment, conducting extensive contact tracing, and monitoring identified contacts for 21 days.
Moreover, the statement said that Sierra Leone is partnering with international organisations, including the WHO, for technical and logistical support, Xinhua news agency reported.
The NPHA urged the public to remain calm, stay vigilant and adhere to established health guidelines, emphasizing that collective efforts are crucial to controlling the outbreak and safeguarding the nation’s well-being.
The ongoing global outbreak of clade II monkeypox has caused more than 100,000 cases in 122 total countries, including 115 countries where monkeypox was not previously reported.
Mpox is an infectious disease that can lead to symptoms such as a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and fatigue. While most people recover completely, some may experience severe illness.
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family.
