Gambia Reports First Mpox Case, Declares Outbreak

Health authorities in The Gambia have confirmed the country’s first case of mpox, signalling the start of an outbreak, even as several neighbouring countries report a surge in infections.

The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that the virus was identified through routine disease surveillance, with the case confirmed last Friday. Officials stated that the detection of a single case in a country where mpox is not currently circulating qualifies as an outbreak and warrants an immediate public health response.

In response, health workers are now conducting active case searches, contact tracing, and community outreach efforts to contain any potential spread.

Mpox is a viral illness from the same family as smallpox. Though it can be transmitted from infected animals to humans, it also spreads through close physical contact between people. Symptoms typically include fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions that resemble boils. In some cases, the disease can be fatal. There are two known subtypes of the virus: clade 1 and clade 2. Health officials in The Gambia have begun sequencing tests to determine which variant is present in the confirmed case.

The outbreak in The Gambia comes as West Africa experiences a worrying increase in mpox cases. From January to late May, Sierra Leone recorded 3,350 confirmed cases, including 16 deaths. Liberia, as of early June, reported 71 active cases, while Guinea noted that more than 200 cases had been recorded since the virus was first detected there in September last year.

Elsewhere in the region, thousands of cases have been reported this year in countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi.

Global health authorities have warned that mpox remains a public health emergency in several regions, with the resurgence in West Africa sparking renewed concern. Efforts are ongoing to bolster surveillance, public awareness, and containment strategies to manage the spread of the virus.