By Bill W. Cooper
The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) said it has intensified surveillance efforts in Sinoe County following a reported outbreak of Monkeypox(Mpox) in prison.
NPHIL Director General Dougbeh Chris Nyan also disclosed that Health officials in the county have been mandated to monitor and contain the spread of the virus, which has raised concerns among local communities.
However, NPHIL’s pronouncement comes amidst a report of a Mpox outbreak that struck the Greenville Central Prison, allegedly leaving six inmates severely affected, with fears of a potential rapid spread to all five cells housing the prison’s population.
Constructed by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as part of its Quick Impact Project in the heart of Greenville, the prison was intended to house only 25 inmates, but the facility currently houses around 65 individuals, doubling its intended capacity.
The overcrowding situation has since exacerbated existing sanitation challenges even though there have been a series of calls for intervention by the Division of Rehabilitation under the Ministry of Justice.
The situation has now reached a critical level, with two of the affected inmates becoming unconscious due to the severity of their condition as they were rushed to the F.J. Grant Hospital for urgent medical attention, with the prison superintendent personally covering the expenses.
According to information from the county, health authorities fear that the virus could quickly infect the entire inmate population, prison staff, and even visitors given the highly contagious nature of chickenpox.
In response to the report, Dr. Nyan told Journalists early Sunday, January 26, 2025, morning that, “Our attention is heightened, because of the ongoing continental and global Mpox outbreak to which the NPHIL is responding in Liberia.”
He disclosed, “County and District Surveillance Officers have been informed and are performing the required epidemiological preparedness and response investigation including assessing of suspected persons or inmates to evaluate the symptoms and of the reported disease in question.”
“As a procedure, the appropriate specimens will be collected and sent to the National Reference Laboratory for testing to determine the pathogen and its bimolecular characteristics,” the NPHIL Boss asserted.
Dr Nyan, at the same time, admonishes the public not to panic but to remain calm and contact the NPHIL for accurate information while we investigate the reports.
He added, “Again, updates will be promptly communicated as information becomes available. Avoid contacts and observe all sanitary measures.”