Amid rising cases across West Africa, The Gambia on Tuesday confirmed the detection of a single mpox infection, marking an official outbreak in the country
The Ministry of Health, in a statement, said the disease was identified through routine surveillance last Friday.
“A case of mpox has been detected in the country through the routine surveillance system,” the ministry said, adding that “the detection of a single case in a country where mpox is not presently in circulation constitutes an outbreak, requiring immediate response.”
Authorities say efforts are underway to contain the spread, including contact tracing, intensified case search, and community sensitisation.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease related to smallpox and can spread through close physical contact or infected animals. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, and painful, boil-like lesions on the skin. It can be fatal in some cases.
The virus has two known subtypes, clade 1 and clade 2, and sequencing is currently being conducted to determine the variant found in The Gambia.
The World Health Organisation had in June maintained that mpox remains an international health emergency as infections continue to surge across the region.
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Sierra Leone reported 3,350 cases, including 16 deaths between January and May. Liberia also had 71 active cases as of early June, while Guinea confirmed more than 200 cases since September 2023.
Thousands of infections have similarly been recorded this year in DR Congo, Burundi, and Uganda, according to WHO.
