In light of recent rises in infections in several neighboring countries, the Gambia confirmed an mpox epidemic on Tuesday, with one case detected. Amid an increase in West Africa, the director of the World Health Organization declared last month that mpox is still an international health emergency.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Health in The Gambia, "a case of mpox has been detected in the country through the routine surveillance system." The sickness was discovered on Friday.
In a nation where mpox is not already in use, "the detection of a single case constitutes an outbreak, requiring immediate response," the statement read. To stop the disease from spreading, the ministry stated that it was actively searching for cases, conducting contact tracing, and engaging the community.
A virus belonging to the same family as smallpox causes mpox. Humans can contract it via sick animals, but it can also spread from person to person through intimate personal contact.
The illness, which was initially identified in humans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, can be fatal and is characterized by fever, muscle pains, and huge skin lesions that resemble boils. Both Clade 1 and Clade 2 are subtypes of it.
According to the government, sequencing is being done in The Gambia to identify the viral subtype. This year, 3,350 cases, including 16 fatalities, were reported in neighboring Sierra Leone between January and late May.
According to the National Public Health Institute, there were about 71 current cases in Liberia at the beginning of June. Meanwhile, Guinea reported this week that more than 200 cases have been identified within its borders since the disease was first detected there in September.
According to WHO, thousands of cases have also been reported this year in Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
