Gambia declares mpox outbreak

The Gambia reported an outbreak of mpox on July 22 with detection of a single case, as several nearby countries have recorded recent increases in infections.

Mpox remains an international health emergency, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) director said last month, amid a rise in west Africa.

"A case of mpox has been detected in the country through the routine surveillance system", The Gambia's Health Ministry said in a statement, adding that the disease was detected last week.

"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.

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.

Thousands of cases have also been recorded this year across DR Congo, Uganda and Burundi, according to WHO.