Sierra Leone has recorded its first case of Mpox since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern last August, the country’s health authorities announced late Friday.
FREETOWN, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Sierra Leone has recorded its first case of Mpox since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern last August, officials said Friday in end of the day the country’s health authorities.
According to a statement from the Sierra Leone National Public Health Agency (NPHA), the infected person is a 27-year-old man from the Western Area rural district.
Rapid action was taken by health teams to conduct contact tracing and conduct thorough investigations to identify potential exposures and prevent further transmission of the virus, according to the release.
Health authorities have activated the incident command system to effectively manage and contain the outbreak. Measures include isolating the patient and providing necessary medical care in a secure environment, thorough contact tracing and monitoring of identified contacts for 21 days.
Furthermore, the statement said Sierra Leone is working in partnership with international organizations, including the WHO, to obtain technical and logistical support.
The NPHA urged the public to remain calm, remain vigilant and adhere to established health guidelines, stressing that collective efforts are essential to control the outbreak and safeguard the well-being of the country.
