In light of recent rises in infections in numerous neighbouring 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 Organisation 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.
“The detection of a single case in a country where mpox is not presently in circulation constitutes an outbreak, requiring immediate response,” it said.
The ministry said it was actively looking for cases, carrying out contact tracing and community engagement to prevent the disease’s spread.
Mpox is caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox. It can be transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed between people through close physical contact.
The disease, which was first detected in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, and can be deadly.
It has two subtypes: clade 1 and clade 2.
Sequencing is being carried out to determine the virus subtype in The Gambia, the ministry said.
From January to late May of this year, nearby Sierra Leone recorded a total of 3,350 cases, including 16 deaths.
Liberia had some 71 active cases in early June, according to its National Public Health Institute.
Guinea, meanwhile, reported last week that the number of cases within its borders since the disease was detected last September had surpassed 200.
Thousands of cases have also been recorded this year across DR Congo, Uganda and Burundi, according to WHO.
