Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency on Monday after the second case of MPox was reported in the country in less than four days, health officials said.
Neither patient had contact with infected animals or other sick individuals, officials said, adding that both individuals were receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital, Freetown.
WHO declares global health emergency in 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a global health emergency in August 2024 due to the rapid spread of the new strain of the virus.
This virus causes fever, headache and painful boils on the skin. It can spread from one person to another through close physical contact, including sexual intercourse.
Congo has borne the brunt of the ongoing outbreak of mpox, with nearly 43,000 suspected cases across the continent and 1,000 deaths, the majority of which have occurred in the central African country.
The new strain spreading this time has raised concerns because it is believed to spread more easily than other strains and evidence suggests it causes a more severe version of the disease.
This strain is different from the type of mpox that surged in 2022, which primarily affected men. WHO declared a state of emergency at that time and it will last until mid-2023. It was brought under control by vaccination of vulnerable groups.
Sierra Leone was previously the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the deadliest in history.
rm/jsi (AP, AFP)
