By Bill W. Cooper
The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has announced a total of eight cases of monkeypox virus in the country, with one confirmed active case and seven suspected cases.
This announcement however comes as a surprise to many, as the initial pronouncement by NPHIL stated that there were only five confirmed cases of monkeypox in three counties across Liberia.
The confirmed case of the monkeypox, according to NPHIL Director General, was identified in a 7-year-old girl who had had no traveling experience(s) and is currently quarantined in Sinoe County.
Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, head of NPHIL, said the girl, whose name is withheld was amongst the first set of cases sent to the lab for testing after showing symptoms of the virus of which five were diagnosed negative, with the 7-year-old girl confirmed positive.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is transmitted to humans from animals, particularly rodents and primates, as the virus causes symptoms similar to smallpox, including fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes among others.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a rash that typically starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Even though it is not usually fatal, Monkeypox, according to experts, causes serious complications in some cases.
Recently, NPHIL announced that at the inception of 2024, Liberia has recorded five confirmed cases of the Mpox virus in three counties and in recent times, new cases were confirmed in neighboring countries like Nigeria and neighboring Cote d’Ivoire.
Though NPHIL did not mention the name of the individuals, it revealed that it was informed of an outbreak of Mpox in several countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, mainly in Central and West Africa.
The Mpox outbreak, according to information, has been determined by the WHO to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).
But addressing a news conference on Monday, 2 September, 2024, in Congo Town, the NPHIL Boss also disclosed that in addition to the confirmed case, NPHIL has identified seven suspected cases of the monkeypox virus.
Dr. Nyan narrated that the suspected individuals, including the confirmed child’s mother and other relatives are currently being quarantined as well as undergoing testing to determine whether they have contracted the virus.
He however revealed that in response to the first Mpox case, his team, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), have embarked on an intense contact tracing effort to identify and monitor individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
This includes tracking down anyone who may have had close contact with the confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox, as well as implementing measures to prevent further spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nyan is calling on the public to take precautions to prevent the spread of monkeypox, including practicing good hygiene, avoiding contact with sick individuals, and seeking medical attention if they develop symptoms of the virus.
