Sierra Leone has confirmed its first case of mpox since the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated its alert level for the viral disease last year.
The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) reported that the patient is a 27-year-old man from a rural area in the Western Zone, close to Freetown.
Health teams are currently engaged in tracing and investigating to identify individuals who may have been exposed, aiming to prevent further transmission.
The case was identified on January 10, but officials have not disclosed the specific variant involved. Mpox, which is related to smallpox, manifests with symptoms such as high fever and vesicular skin lesions.
Initially recognized in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, the disease had been largely confined to a few African nations until it spread more broadly in 2022. In response to this confirmed case, Sierra Leonean health authorities have implemented containment measures, isolating the patient and monitoring contacts for 21 days, while enhancing surveillance in areas the patient visited.
A public awareness initiative has been launched, and health workers are receiving protective equipment and training to mitigate further spread. Sierra Leone previously faced significant challenges during the Ebola outbreak, which resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths, including a substantial loss of health workers, from last few (4)years .